Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

PRESS RELEASE. AscendEX is thrilled to announce the listing of the HaloDao token (RNBW) under the pair USDT/RNBW on Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. UTC. HaloDAO intends to unlock potential for non-USD stablecoins to generate permissionless on-demand liquidity. They are building their Protocol in the Balancer ecosystem. This will enable local populations to swap and earn crypto, acting as the base layer for additional innovation for local payments. HaloDAO provides an incentivization system embodied in a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO). The stablecoin marketplace protocol connects traditional finance and decentralized finance (DeFi) by enabling deep liquidity networks for local stablecoins and money market fund products. The project aims to create a foundational layer for the digital economy by building an optimized Automated Market Maker (AMM) that efficiently facilitates swaps and minimizes slippage between differently priced stablecoins. HaloDao plans to bootstrap a lending mar

The CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk shared a picture of a Shiba Inu pup and said “Floki has arrived” to his 59.8 million Twitter followers. Of course, the tweet affected the price of a few specific meme-based crypto assets that leverage the “Floki” name. Shiba Floki Token Soars After Elon Tweets an Image of His New Pup Elon Musk has been a fan of dogecoin (DOGE) for a while now and on a few occasions, the CEO of the electric car manufacturer Tesla has tweeted a reference to other meme-based canine coins in the past. Musk referenced “baby doge” in a tweet and in a video shared on Twitter, Musk said “daddy doge,” while being escorted to his car. At that time, there were more than 30 doge-like coins that either shared the name “doge” or the type of dog “Shiba Inu.” On Sunday, September 12, Elon Musk tweeted about a new puppy arrival and happily tweeted “Floki has arrived.” Now of course, just like his baby doge coin sing-along shared on Twitter in July and the daddy doge video mention , th

Grayscale Investments has partnered with Icapital Network to provide more than 6,700 advisors access to its cryptocurrency investment products. “Advisors and their clients have expressed increasing appetite for uncorrelated return potential in their portfolios, and digital currencies are at the center of the conversation right now,” said the CEO of Icapital. Over 6,700 Advisors Now Have Access to Grayscale’s Crypto Investments Grayscale Investments announced Monday a partnership with Icapital Network, a platform connecting advisors and high net worth investors to alternative investment managers. Icapital services more than $80 billion in client assets across more than 780 funds globally as of July 31, according to the company. The New York-headquartered firm has offices in Zurich, London, Lisbon, and Hong Kong. The partnership will “offer Icapital Network’s more than 6,700 network advisors serving high-net-worth clients with access to digital currencies through a Grayscale diversi

Nasdaq-listed Microstrategy has purchased 5,050 more bitcoins for $243 million, raising its total bitcoin holdings to 114,042 coins. Microstrategy Continues to Grow Its Bitcoin Stash The pro-bitcoin software company Microstrategy announced Monday that it has purchased more bitcoins. CEO Michael Saylor tweeted: Microstrategy has purchased an additional 5,050 bitcoins for ~$242.9 million in cash at an average price of ~$48,099 per bitcoin. As of 9/12/21 we hodl ~114,042 bitcoins acquired for ~$3.16 billion at an average price of ~$27,713 per bitcoin. The company also informed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) about its bitcoin purchase Monday. The filing states that in the third quarter Microstrategy “purchased approximately 8,957 bitcoins for approximately $419.9 million in cash, at an average price of approximately $46,875 per bitcoin, inclusive of fees and expenses.” The 8,957 BTC figure includes the 3,907 BTC purchase that was announced in August.

On Monday, September 13, a press release was published by globenewswire.com and said it was connected to “Walmart Inc,” the American multinational retail corporation. Several mainstream media outlets published stories about it including Reuters, Bloomberg, and CNBC. Not too long after these reports were published, the press release saying Walmart and Litecoin partnered was verified as being “not authentic” by a Walmart spokesperson. Fake Walmart and Litecoin News Exposes Pump and Dump Scheme It appears that a phony Walmart press release has been published on Monday which said that the Walmart retail chain was partnering with the cryptocurrency project Litecoin. The press release featured Doug McMillon, the CEO of Walmart, and Charlie Lee the creator of Litecoin. Yahoo Finance reported on the news in a video. Furthermore, an official Litecoin Twitter account with a blue checkmark also tweeted about the press release. The release claimed Walmart partnered with Litecoin and would

At the end of August, Ethereum network gas costs skyrocketed and tapped a high of $59 per transaction on September 7, according to the average transaction fee spent on that day. The median fee for an ether transaction on September 7 was around $20 per transaction. Days later, ether transaction fees have subsided to a degree as the median and average ether fees have been slashed in half since then. Ethereum Fees Subside, Transfer Costs Less Expensive One of the biggest complaints people have with digital currencies is how much the transaction fee can cost to send these assets. Critics don’t care for the fact that Layer 1 bitcoin ( BTC ) and ethereum ( ETH ) transactions can be quite costly and unpredictable as well. The common answer for bitcoiners is the Layer 2 protocol the Lightning Network, but there are also Layer 2 schemes for ethereum ( ETH ) transactions. First off, a Layer 1 transaction that is settled onchain will cost an ethereum user between $3.39 to $18.74 per transacti

PRESS RELEASE. BitYard , a Singapore-based cryptocurrency derivatives exchange, is continuously improving its trading services in response to the changing needs of global investors. Recently, the exchange has partnered with Banxa, the world-leading payment service provider (PSP) for the digital asset industry, to provide more convenient fiat deposit methods supporting 13 of the world’s most mainstream currencies such as USD, EUR, CAD, and AUD to global users. It helps investors from all over the world to purchase cryptocurrencies easily using their fiat money. Fast and Easy Deposit Methods Banxa , with a mission to build the bridge between traditional financial systems, regulation, and the digital asset space, offers Visa, Mastercard, and Apple Pay payment methods for BitYard users in over 150 countries worldwide, and local bank transfer and cash deposit ways for the users in North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific, to purchase major cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin ( BTC ), E

The regulatory status of cryptocurrency mining remains somewhat undetermined in Ukraine, even after the recent adoption of the law “On Virtual Assets.” However, albeit unregulated, the minting of digital coins isn’t prohibited either, according to a leading advisor on crypto matters at the Ukrainian parliament. Amendments to Ukraine’s Tax Law to Regulate Accounting for Crypto Mining Entities The mining of digital currencies has remained outside the scope of Ukraine’s newly adopted legislation intended to regulate transactions involving cryptocurrencies in the country. Various accounting aspects pertaining to crypto-related activities, including mining, will be addressed in upcoming amendments to the tax code, an important advisor at the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament, told Forklog. Konstantin Yarmolenko, who heads a team of advisors to the multipartisan Blockchain4Ukraine group of deputies, further remarked that the mining of cryptocurrencies should not be subject to lic

The U.S. Treasury Department is reported to have held meetings with participants from the country’s financial industry to discuss “the risks and benefits posed by stablecoins.” In addition, officials are said to have used the meetings to discuss “whether stablecoins would require direct oversight if they become extremely popular.” Policymakers Alarmed by Growth of Crypto Market According to a report , the meetings come on the heels of a “rapidly expanding cryptocurrency market which exceeded a record $2 trillion in April.” This rapid growth of both cryptocurrencies and stablecoins has reportedly alarmed policymakers in Washington. It has also alarmed central bankers like Boston Federal Reserve President Eric Rosengren who asserts that stablecoins could be a “disruptor” to prime money market funds. Consequently, in one of the two meetings held last week, the U.S. Treasury officials and players in the financial industry are said to have “discussed how regulators should try to mitiga

Bancoagricola, the biggest bank in El Salvador, is now accepting bitcoin to pay for debts originated from the use of its instruments, according to a PR statement. The institution partnered with Flexa, a payments network, to include cryptocurrency capabilities in its software. Bancoagricola also allows merchants using Wompi services (a digital payment processor) to receive bitcoin for goods and services sold. Bancoagricola Embraces Bitcoin Bancoagricola, the biggest financial institution in El Salvador, has been one of the first to include bitcoin support for its financial instruments. This means that its customers will be able to pay for financial instruments (like loans, mortgages, and credit card debt) with bitcoin, complying with the bitcoin law . Customers of the bank that use a digital payments gateway known as Wompi, will also be able to receive payments in bitcoin through this service. Carlos Mauricio Novoa, COO of Bancoagricola, stated: We are excited to be the first fin

ADAlend.finance , a protocol that is bringing decentralized lending to the Cardano blockchain, has just sold out its private sale in less than one hour. Seven private angel investors have purchased the entire seed allocation of 1.8 Million Cardano native ADAL tokens for $540,000. Seed round oversubscribed 400% As a reflection of the huge demand for high quality Cardano native DeFi projects, and the perfect timing with the launch of ADA smart contracts around the corner with the Alonzo upgrade , the ADAlend seed round was 400% oversubscribed, and those who did not make it into the seed stage have been whitelisted for the private sale. ADALend is governed by a DAO ADALend is building a scalable and decentralized lending protocol on Cardano, governed by the DAO and based on a pure Cardno native token ADAL. Until now Ethereum based platforms like Aave have dominated the DeFi lending space, but the team at ADAlend believe the time is right for a changing of the guard. The speed and

In the early days, there were only a few web portals with cryptocurrency statistics and data tied to these ever-changing digital asset markets and blockchain metrics. More than ten years later, however, data and analytics tethered to the world’s most popular and most used digital currencies have swelled with growth. The following article delves into a myriad of web portals that offer insights into the innovative land of cryptocurrencies. Charts, Onchain Metrics, and Coin Market Cap Aggregation Over a decade ago, there were a couple of websites that shared information concerning bitcoin (BTC) and the small number of digital assets that traded beside BTC in the early days. A few websites displayed BTC ’s price and a handful of onchain statistics, so people could get a sense of crypto markets and the utility of these blockchains. Web portals in the early days consisted of price chart pages like zeroblock.com, onchain metrics from blockchain.info (now blockchain.com ), and crypto coin

U.K. Post Office’s Easyid app is adding the option to buy bitcoin starting this week. Through the free-to-use Post Office app, customers can access Swarm Markets, a regulated crypto exchange, to buy bitcoin and ethereum. Buy Bitcoin and Ether Using Post Office App The U.K. Post Office is introducing an option to buy cryptocurrencies via Easyid, its ID verification app. Post office customers who have verified their identity using the app can buy vouchers that can be redeemed for cryptocurrencies. The Easyid app will offer access to Swarm Markets starting this week, the Telegraph publication detailed, adding that the app has “tens of thousands of users.” Berlin-based Swarm Markets, a crypto trading platform regulated by German financial regulator, BaFin, announced Friday: Swarm Markets partnered with Yoti to offer Easyid mobile app users a safe and easy way to buy BTC and ETH vouchers via credit card or bank transfer — as well as access the world’s 1st licensed defi [decentralize

Greyp Bikes, a company founded by Croatian innovator and entrepreneur Mate Rimac, has integrated crypto payments into its online billing system. All of its high-tech cycling products can now be purchased using nine different coins thanks to a partnership with payment processor Paycek. Greyp Bikes Accepts Cryptocurrencies for Its Electric Bicycles Croatia’s Greyp Bikes, which is aiming to rank among technological leaders in the cycling world, has taken another innovative step. The company has introduced support for payments with nine major cryptocurrencies – BTC , ETH , BCH , XLM , XRP , DAI, EOS , USDT , and USDC – through a cooperation with Paycek, the country’s leading crypto payment processor. It recently announced : Greyp News Everybody! Cryptocurrencies can now be used to purchase Greyp bikes directly. “Greyp has always been at the forefront of technology in the biking world, so this was the next logical step to take in the further development of the brand,” the Sveta Nedel

On Sunday, digital currency markets have seen some slight improvements but overall since September 6, 2021, the $2.21 trillion cryptocurrency market capitalization is down 9.79% from $2.45 trillion. While dominant coins like bitcoin and ethereum have slid between 8-12% during the last week, a number of other digital assets have seen double-digit weekly gains and even double-digit percentage spikes during the last 24 hours. This Weekend’s Double-Digit Crypto Gainers The price of bitcoin ( BTC ) has faltered 8% during the last seven days and ethereum ( ETH ) has dropped by 12% during the week. Cardano ( ADA ) shed 4% and binance coin ( BNB ) lost more than 16% during the last seven days. The top ten crypto-asset XRP saw around 11.6% shaved off its market cap and dogecoin (DOGE) slid by 18.2% this past week. The only two crypto assets in the top ten standings include solana (SOL) up more than 26% this week and polkadot (DOT) up 5.5%. Prices taken for this weekend’s market update re

Arbitrum, a second layer expansion rollup for Ethereum, has breached the $1.5 billion of total value locked (TVL) in protocols using its services. The smart contract recorded an influx of more than 1 billion just today after a rumor started in social media that the protocol might be planning to issue its own token in the coming days. The second layer was launched on mainnet less than two weeks ago. Arbitrum Blows Past $1.5 Billion TVL Arbitrum, an L2 scaling solution for Ethereum, has reached a new milestone, breaking the $1.5 billion in TVL in less than two weeks since it launched in mainnet. It had a big influx of liquidity yesterday, with more than $1 billion entering the network according to info from L2Beat . Protocols in Ethereum are still adapting their structures to include Arbitrum services, but the layer has experienced sizable support, even when Ethereum heavy hitters like Compound and Aave still haven’t adopted it. Most users are flocking to the first farming platform

The head of the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub, Benoît Cœuré, has urged central banks to act now on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) to compete with initiatives in the private sector, including cryptocurrencies. “CBDCs will take years to be rolled out, while … crypto assets are already here,” he said. BIS Says Central Banks Need to Hurry up With CBDCs Benoît Cœuré, head of the BIS Innovation Hub, talked about central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) at the Eurofi Financial Forum, Ljubljana, Friday. He called on central banks to urgently develop CBDCs to compete with payment initiatives in the private sector, including cryptocurrencies. “Today, the financial system is shifting under our feet,” he explained. “Big techs are expanding their footprint in retail payments. Stablecoins are knocking on the door, seeking regulatory approval. Decentralized finance (defi) platforms are challenging traditional financial intermediation. They all come with different

After non-fungible token (NFT) sales soared during the month of August, the first week of September’s NFT sales has been awful. Statistics show the number of sales in mid-August tapped a high of 193,693 sales but plummeted 86% to 27,053 sales on September 10. Metrics from the most used marketplaces show that volume has slid considerably following the same fallout cryptocurrency market have felt during the last four days. NFT Sales and Trade Volumes Plummet So far, September has not been the best month for NFTs and sales in this space. Last month, non-fungible token (NFT) markets saw record sales and a number of individual NFTs from the hottest collections sold for top dollar. According to nonfungible.com ’s market history, on August 16, 193,693 sales were settled and that number subsequently fell 62% to 73,154 sales on August 22. However, from 73K sales spiked 88% to 138,109 sales on August 30 and ever since then, sales have been on a free fall to Friday’s 27,053 sales on Septembe

Cryptocurrency mining should be registered as entrepreneurial activity and taxed as such, according to Anatoly Aksakov, chairman of Russia’s parliamentary Financial Market Committee. The lawmaker also thinks Russian digital currency regulations need refinement. Amendments Likely to Affect Mining, Taxation, Definition of Digital Currency Discussing upcoming changes in the legislation regarding digital currencies in Russia, head of the Financial Market Committee in the State Duma, Anatoly Aksakov, expressed his opinion that cryptocurrency mining should be added to Russia’s register of entrepreneurial activities and taxed accordingly. The treatment of crypto mining and the taxation of cryptocurrency-related operations are among the areas that are likely to be affected by the legal amendments to be adopted during the fall session of the Russian parliament. Speaking to Tass news agency on the sidelines of the Moscow Financial Forum this week, Aksakov elaborated: Since this is a type o

The Zimbabwean minister of finance, Mthuli Ncube, has once again talked up the potential advantages of using cryptocurrencies. In new comments made shortly after visiting the DMCC Crypto Centre in Dubai, Ncube raises the possibility that the country might use cryptocurrency-based solutions to lower the cost of remitting funds across borders. Understanding Cryptocurrencies Prior to making these remarks about cryptocurrencies, Ncube has previously urged Zimbabwe to “invest in understanding emerging innovations like bitcoin.” At the time, Ncube, who had just been appointed finance minister, told Zimbabwean authorities to emulate countries like Switzerland which he said were “investing in and understanding bitcoin.” However, in his latest positive comments about cryptocurrencies, Ncube said: I visited the DMCC CRYPTO CENTRE in Dubai, which is a fascinating incubation hub for crypto currency and payment solutions. Came across solutions that could lower charges for diaspora remittance

Last March, the comic book publisher DC Comics told freelancers that intellectual property (IP) and characters owned by DC Comics were off-limits in regards to freelancers leveraging the IP for non-fungible token (NFT) asset sales. A recent report indicates that Marvel Comics has also told freelance artists that the sale of NFT products featuring Marvel’s IP is off-limits as well. DC Comics and Marvel Tell Freelance Artists to Hold Off on Auctioning NFTs Featuring Company’s IP A report published on Friday shows that the world’s largest comic book publisher Marvel Comics does not want artists to use Marvel’s products and IP for NFT sales. Back in March, Bitcoin.com News reported on DC Comics’ legal executive sending a letter to staffers and freelance artists telling them to cease and desist NFT initiatives that involved DC Comics’ IP. Before the letter went out, comic book artist José Delgo sold a Wonder Woman-themed NFT collection via Makersplace. “Please note that the offering f