Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

On Sunday, December 3, 2023, bitcoin’s value surged past the $40K mark, peaking at $40,846 at 8:45 p.m. Eastern Time. Over the past week, bitcoin has witnessed an 8.4% increase and a 3% rise in the past 24 hours, achieving a peak that the cryptocurrency hadn’t seen in 20 months. Bitcoin Rises Above the $40K Zone Bitcoin ( BTC ) reached a peak previously last observed in early April 2022, as its value per unit soared beyond the $40,000 threshold. The intraday trading saw the cryptocurrency’s price fluctuating from a low of $39,309 to a high of $40,846 per BTC . This surge in price brings bitcoin’s total market capitalization to $795.87 billion, accounting for 50% of the entire $1.593 trillion crypto economy. Bitcoin chart by TradingView Since the start of the year, BTC has experienced a remarkable 140% rise against the U.S. dollar, and in the past month alone, this leading cryptocurrency has increased by just over 49%. Currently, bitcoin boasts a global trade volume of $17.

Mohammed and Benamar M., two brothers accused of exploiting Platypus, an avalanche-based automated market maker (AMM) platform, were acquitted of any criminal wrongdoing in a landmark case for French justice. The judge in charge stated that the individuals just interacted with a smart contract that gave “more than it had to give.” Platypus Hackers Acquitted After Perpetuating $9 Million Exploit Two individuals linked to the exploit of Platypus, a stablecoin-focused automated market-making (AMM) platform built on top of Avalanche, have been acquitted of criminal wrongdoing in France. The Paris Judicial Court dropped charges of accessing a computer system, money laundering, and concealment for Mohammed and Benamar M., two brothers who managed to siphon over $9 million from Platypus’ smart contract using an exploit. The two individuals arrested in February never denied that they exploited the platform. Instead, Mohammed acknowledged the facts, arguing that he had acted as a “white ha

November marked a significant milestone in the 2023 revenue generated by bitcoin miners, reaching a peak of $1.16 billion. This month not only stood out in terms of total earnings but also set a record for the highest monthly fees collected by miners within the year. Bitcoin Mining Fees Soar to Yearly High in November, Fueling Revenue In November, bitcoin ( BTC ) miners experienced a prosperous period, bolstered by increased prices and a substantial uptick in transfer fees. Data reveals that miners amassed a total revenue of $1.16 billion, with fees contributing $142.19 million to this sum. This performance eclipsed the former zenith reached in May 2023, where total earnings were $919.22 million, inclusive of $125.92 million in fees. From May to November 2023, bitcoin miners experienced a fluctuation in earnings, with fees escalating from about $17 million to a peak of $38 million in June. The total revenue in November surpassed May’s figures by approximately 26.19%. Yet, the has

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has warned that something bad may happen in the U.S. economy. “I’m not trying to scare people. I’m more in the category that something could go wrong,” he stressed. “A lot of things out there are dangerous and inflationary. Be prepared … Interest rates may go up and that might lead to recession.” Jamie Dimon Says ‘Be Prepared’ The CEO of JPMorgan Chase, Jamie Dimon, issued several warnings regarding the U.S. economy this week at the 2023 New York Times Dealbook Summit in New York and the Global Investment Summit organized by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in London. Elaborating on his recent warning of “ the most dangerous time the world has seen in decades,” Dimon said at the Dealbook Summit on Wednesday: “If you look at history and you open a newspaper of any month, any year, of course, there’s always tough stuff going on — wars, depressions, recessions….” He explained that the current situation, including the war in Ukraine, the huge humanitar

Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki has issued more warnings about the U.S. economy, including a giant market collapse, a possible next Great Depression, and another war. The famous author emphasized that millions of people will face “really hard times ahead.” He urged them to be prepared, reiterating his recommendation of gold, silver, and bitcoin. Robert Kiyosaki Sees ‘Really Hard Times Ahead’ for Millions The author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, is back with dire warnings about the U.S. economy. Rich Dad Poor Dad is a 1997 book co-authored by Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. It has been on the New York Times Best Seller List for over six years. More than 32 million copies of the book have been sold in over 51 languages across more than 109 countries. The famous author wrote on social media platform X Thursday that a “giant market collapse is here” because the Three Stooges are running the White House, the U.S. Treasury, and the Federal Reserve. He continued: Possible

Skybridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci has predicted a substantial influx of capital from Wall Street into spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) once they are approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). He highlighted the unleashing of salesforces from major institutions, anticipating over $100 billion flowing into bitcoin following spot bitcoin ETF approvals. Scaramucci on Market Impact of Spot Bitcoin ETFs Anthony Scaramucci, the founder of asset management firm Skybridge Capital, discussed his outlook on spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in an interview on The Scoop, The Block’s podcast, on Thursday. “The not-so-secret reality of Wall Street is that products are sold and not bought. Imagine an army, a legion of people who are going to be selling,” he began, adding that they will be “giving the Mantra speech about bitcoin” to brokerage firms and financial advisor offices who will then tell their clients to put 1% in BTC . He described: These

The transformation of the Ethereum network, popularly known as ‘The Merge,’ marked a significant shift in the blockchain’s energy usage and climate impact. A detailed report by the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) meticulously dissects this journey, offering invaluable insights into Ethereum’s historical and current ecological footprint. This transition, deeply rooted in environmental considerations, demonstrates a pivotal change in the digital asset ecosystem. Ethereum’s Environmental Footprint Transformed, Says CCAF Report Before The Merge , Ethereum’s proof-of-work (PoW) mechanism demanded considerable energy, largely due to the computational intensity of mining processes. This phase, while essential for the network’s security and integrity, raised environmental concerns due to its high energy consumption. The latest CCAF report highlights this period as a critical phase in understanding Ethereum’s total environmental impact. The CCAF’s previous article on the su

In the past six months, Bitcoin miners’ revenue has dropped by more than 30%, with November revenues approximately $270 million lower than October revenues. The drop in Bitcoin miners’ revenue is attributed to Bitcoin price volatility, increased competition, and higher electricity prices. Gradual Decline in Miner Revenue Bitcoin miners’ revenues have fallen by over 30% in the past six months, despite the gradual increase in the price of Bitcoin from its March 10 low of just over $20,000 to just over $38,000 on Dec. 1, 2023. According to banklesstimes.com data , miners’ November revenue of $615.1 million is approximately $300 million less than the January revenue. Since reaching a high of $918.8 million in January, miners’ revenue has gradually declined in the months that followed. The month of October was the only time this trend was bucked, with miners securing the second-highest monthly earnings of 2023 at $885 million. Commenting on the drop in miner revenue, Alice Leetham, an

Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz expects the price of bitcoin to be significantly higher when the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approves spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs). “We will see a pretty successful shift of psychology … when the government says ‘you are allowed to buy bitcoin,'” he described. Mike Novogratz’s Bullish Bitcoin Prediction Galaxy Digital CEO Michael Novogratz explained why the price of bitcoin is poised to rise “significantly higher” in an interview on Bloomberg TV Wednesday. His bullish prediction hinges on the potential approval of the first U.S. spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Novogratz detailed: “There’s a bunch of good things happening for bitcoin. We are going to get an ETF. Right now there’s a lot of anticipation. Some of that is built into the price.” He added that when you actually get a spot bitcoin ETF announcement, which he believes to be two months before it starts

Ripple’s chief legal officer says the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is “anything but infallible,” emphasizing that the regulator is “bloated, broken, and beleaguered.” He advised investors not to be intimidated when having to deal with the securities watchdog. ‘SEC Is Anything But Infallible’ Ripple’s chief legal officer, Stuart Alderoty, slammed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on social media platform X on Thursday. Quoting an article published in the Wall Street Journal stating that the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled against the SEC in recent years, Alderoty stressed that the securities regulator is “anything but infallible,” noting that the agency is “bloated, broken, and beleaguered.” He also advised investors: “Don’t be intimidated when they come knocking.” Commenting on Alderoty’s statement, lawyer John Deaton shared : “I remember when I sued the SEC and some people said: ‘You’re crazy.’ Why? The SEC is only good at one thing: intimida

Ocean, a Bitcoin mining pool that recently raised $6.2 million in a seed funding round led by former Twitter (now known as X) CEO Jack Dorsey, is currently filtering ordinal inscription transactions. Giacomo Zucco, a bitcoiner, confirmed that Ocean was using Knots as a node, a software developed by Luke Dashjr known to filter Ordinal inscriptions. Ocean Bitcoin Mining Pool Filtering Ordinal Inscriptions Ocean, a Bitcoin mining pool, has acknowledged that it is currently applying a filter that affects Ordinals-related transactions. The pool, which recently closed its $6.2 million seed round led by former X CEO Jack Dorsey, excludes certain Bitcoin Ordinals transactions using Knots, a Bitcoin node known to apply these filtering policies. Giacomo Zucco, who was part of the conference as part of the relaunch of the pool, confirmed this fact, stating that it was currently using several filtering policies, excluding what he called “spam.” Zucco stated : Some ‘inscription’ spam is don

The U.S. deputy secretary of the Treasury has revealed that the Treasury Department has asked Congress for more tools and authorities “to go after illicit actors in the digital asset space.” Moreover, he stressed: “We need to update our illicit finance authorities to match the challenges we face today, including those presented by the evolving digital asset ecosystem.” Treasury Seeks More Powers in Digital Asset Space Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo outlined the Treasury’s key priorities in addressing illicit actors within the cryptocurrency space at this year’s Blockchain Association’s Policy Summit on Wednesday. “We are calling on Congress to create a secondary sanction regime that will not only cut off a firm from the U.S. financial system but will also expose any firm that continues to do business with the sanctioned entity to being cut off from the U.S. financial system,” he revealed. “This is a significant tool we do not request lightly. But we need to do every

Blackrock, the world’s largest asset manager, has held another meeting with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to discuss its spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) application. The firm has proposed a “revised in-kind” model for its spot bitcoin ETF that it believes will “resolve” the SEC’s concerns. The regulator has reportedly indicated that it prefers spot bitcoin ETFs to use the cash creation method. Revised In-Kind Model for Spot Bitcoin ETF Blackrock, the world’s largest asset manager, held another meeting with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s Division of Trading and Markets this week regarding its spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) application. According to a memorandum dated Nov. 28 posted on the SEC’s website, the two parties discussed “Nasdaq Stock Market LLC’s proposed rule change to list and trade shares of the iShares Bitcoin Trust.” The asset management firm explained: “During our 11/20 meeting with Trading & Markets staff

Microstrategy has expanded its bitcoin holdings with the acquisition of 16,130 more bitcoins. With this latest purchase, the Nasdaq-listed software intelligence firm is now hoding 174,530 bitcoins, acquired for around $5.28 billion. Since adopting its bitcoin strategy, Microstrategy’s stock has outperformed major asset classes and indices. Microstrategy’s Bitcoin Treasury Rises to 174,530 Coins Microstrategy (Nasdaq: MSTR) has disclosed its most recent acquisition of bitcoin. The firm’s chairman and former CEO, Michael Saylor, shared on social media platform X Thursday: Microstrategy has acquired an additional 16,130 BTC for ~$593.3 million at an average price of $36,785 per bitcoin. As of 11/29/23, Microstrategy now hodls 174,530 $ BTC acquired for ~$5.28 billion at an average price of $30,252 per bitcoin. According to the company’s filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the additional coins were acquired in cash during the period between Nov. 1 and N

The Australia-based and Nasdaq-listed Iris Energy recently announced the acquisition of 1.3 exahash per second (EH/s) capacity in Bitmain’s latest Antminer T21 models. This purchase boosts Iris Energy’s proprietary mining capacity to a notable 8.3 EH/s. Iris Energy Secures 1.3 EH/s in Latest Bitmain Deal Iris Energy (Nasdaq: IREN ) announced on Thursday its procurement of 7,000 next-generation T21 bitcoin ( BTC ) miners from Bitmain Technologies. The deal, amounting to roughly $18.6 million, translates to a cost of $14 per terahash. Bitmain has agreed to postpone 20% of this sum until May 30, 2024, while Iris Energy plans to settle the balance through structured payments. At the end of October, Bitmain introduced the T21 series, an air-cooled unit boasting up to 190 terahash per second (TH/s) capacity and a 19 joules per terahash (J/T) efficiency rating. Iris Energy highlighted that these T21 units’ enhanced efficiency ratio will elevate their entire fleet’s performance from 29.5

Economist Peter Schiff has warned that the U.S. dollar is “on the verge of a historic crash.” He stressed that there won’t be a soft landing for the U.S. economy, predicting a “c rash & burn” scenario. Schiff highlighted the potential for increased inflation, rising interest rates, and elevated unemployment. “The economy is weaker than the Fed thinks and the result will be larger budget deficits and higher inflation,” he noted. Peter Schiff’s Latest Economic Warnings Economist and gold bug Peter Schiff is back with gloomy economic predictions in a series of posts on social media platform X. He wrote on Tuesday: The U.S. dollar is on the verge of a historic crash. This will be a game changer for the Fed and the economy, as it will send inflation, interest rates, and unemployment soaring. Forget about a soft-landing. It’s crash & burn. He added: “The U.S. dollar is toast. As inflation heats up, to avoid getting burned the world will turn to gold as the most viable alternat

Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki has recommended buying bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Warning that the global economy is slowing to a possible depression and the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve will print trillions in “fake dollars,” he urged investors: “Don’t be caught sleeping like most Americans. Take action now.” Robert Kiyosaki and Spot Bitcoin ETFs The author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, has suggested investing in bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for investors who prefer this approach over direct investment in bitcoin. Rich Dad Poor Dad is a 1997 book co-authored by Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. It has been on the New York Times Best Seller List for over six years. More than 32 million copies of the book have been sold in over 51 languages across more than 109 countries. On Tuesday, Kiyosaki posted on social media platform X, expressing concern about the Cardboard Box Index, an indicator used by some investors to assess consumer goods production

Standard Chartered Bank has doubled down on its bitcoin price forecast of $100,000 next year with increased optimism on the timing. “We now expect more price upside to materialize before the halving than we previously did, specifically via the earlier-than-expected introduction of U.S. spot [bitcoin] ETFs,” the bank’s analyst described. Standard Chartered’s Bitcoin Price Prediction Standard Chartered Bank has reiterated its bitcoin price forecast of $100,000 with more price upside happening sooner than it previously predicted. In a note published Tuesday, Standard Chartered’s head of crypto research and Western emerging markets FX, Geoff Kendrick, wrote that “crypto spring has sprung.” The analyst explained that bitcoin’s unwavering dominance in the cryptocurrency space and heightened token hoarding by miners continue to drive the asset’s upward trajectory. Bitcoin’s share of the crypto market cap rose from 45% in April to approximately 50% while its value surged by over $10,000.

In a six-month roadmap unveiled on Nov. 29, the BNB Chain development team said it is targeting 10,000 transactions per second and fees of $0.001 on the layer two (L2) solution Opbnb. Sometime between 2024’s second and third quarters, the objective will be to lower the gas limit per block increase from 100M to 200M. Making the Chain More Accessible On Nov. 29 the BNB chain unveiled what it called a tech roadmap for Opbnb, a layer two (L2) solution within its ecosystem. The goal of the roadmap is to make “blockchain more accessible, with the design principles based on making the Opbnb network more efficient for users and developers.” To achieve this, the roadmap is targeting 10,000 TPS (transactions per second) for transfers as well as “a price reduction of ten times on Opbnb.” The unveiling of the six-month roadmap came just days after the transaction count on Opbnb tapped a new all-time high of 5.47 million. This milestone was achieved when “the network handled the full capacit

Standard Chartered Bank (China) has become one of the first foreign banks to participate in China’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot. The bank explained that as an international bank rooted in the Chinese market for 165 years, Standard Chartered is optimistic about the development prospects of the digital yuan. Standard Chartered Participates in Digital Yuan Pilot Standard Chartered Bank (China) Ltd. announced Monday that it has started offering digital yuan exchange services to customers and become one of the first foreign banks to participate in China’s central bank digital currency (CBDC), digital renminbi (RMB), business pilot. Standard Chartered is one of the oldest and most established foreign banks in China. Zhang Xiaolei, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank (China), commented: We are very pleased to participate in the pilot of digital RMB business as one of the first foreign banks. The bank explained that it will access the digital renminbi interconnection platform

Former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Jay Clayton has discussed what he believes to be the “appropriate way” to regulate crypto. The former regulator added that “the classification issues” about whether a crypto token is a security or a commodity are “overblown,” emphasizing: “Most of those decisions are pretty easy.” Ex-SEC Chair Discusses Crypto Regulation Former chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Jay Clayton, discussed cryptocurrency regulation at the Council on Foreign Relations last week. Responding to a question about what the appropriate way to regulate the crypto industry would be, the former SEC chair stated: The appropriate way to regulate crypto is to recognize that it’s a technology, not a product. “It’s a different technology for almost all cases, delivering a product that we already know, sometimes in a more efficient way,” he added. “I’m very sympathetic … to the entrepreneurs who want to reach out to the publi

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong says the enforcement action against Binance has allowed the crypto industry to “turn the page.” He emphasized: “There are many, many companies in crypto that are helping build the crypto economy and update our financial system globally. But many of them are still small startups, so I think getting regulatory clarity is going to help bring in more investment in the crypto space.” Coinbase’s CEO Shares Crypto Industry Outlook The CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase (Nasdaq: COIN), Brian Armstrong, discussed the crypto industry outlook following Binance’s settlements with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) during an interview with CNBC on Monday. Noting that there have been “a few bad actors in crypto,” the Coinbase executive said: The enforcement action against Binance, that’s allowing us to kind of turn the page on that and hopefully close that chapter of crypto history. “It’s a good moment for us to turn the page as an industry and recognize t