Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

Binance’s attempt to prevent the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from making public statements alleging that the crypto exchange mishandled U.S. customers’ assets has been denied by the judge overseeing its enforcement case. A former SEC head of internet enforcement warned that the motion may “prompt the criminal authorities to expedite whatever action, if any, they plan on taking with respect to Binance.” Judge Denies Binance’s Motion Against SEC Binance’s motion against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was denied by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on Monday. The motion was filed as part of the case in which the SEC charged Binance , CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ), and Binance US with securities law violations. The cryptocurrency exchange filed a motion asking Judge Jackson to prevent the securities regulator from making public statements alleging that Binance and Zhao mishandled the assets of U.S.-based customers. The cryptocurrency exchange argued that the SEC h

Lately, the media has been captivated by the possibility of a grid collapse and the devastating economic consequences it would entail. Curiously, the internet is teeming with headlines suggesting the plausibility of such a collapse, whether caused by cyberattacks, physical assaults on infrastructure, equipment malfunctions, or even the notion of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) incapacitating the most influential energy providers. Antiquated and Fragile Power Grids Putting U.S. and Global Economies on Edge In recent months, the media has honed in on the potential for a grid collapse. On June 27, 2023, Wired writers Maryn McKenna and Matt Simon elucidated in an editorial that although the power system may possess resilience, it is not impervious to vulnerabilities. The article delves into the implications of scorching heat waves and questions whether contemporary power stations can withstand the demands. The authors elaborate on the detrimental impact hurricanes and earthquakes can ha

After briefly rising above $31,000, bitcoin consolidated on Wednesday, as bulls moved to secure recent gains. The uncertainty came as crypto custodian Prime Trust entered receivership, after being found to be illiquid by authorities. Ethereum also declined, once again falling below $1,900. Bitcoin Bitcoin ( BTC ) consolidated on Wednesday, as traders opted to secure profits following a recent bull run. BTC /USD broke out of a key resistance level at $30,800 on Tuesday, on its way to a peak at $31,006.79 late in yesterday’s session. However, take profit orders seemed to have been triggered, with bitcoin dropping to an intraday low of $30,169.78 today. Bitcoin chart by TradingView As mentioned yesterday, the relative strength index (RSI) was approaching a ceiling at 73.00, and it appears that bulls were unable to move beyond this point. The index is now tracking at the 66.45 mark, which comes after price strength was unable to stop at a support level at 68.00. Should this dow

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) said it plans to issue a wholesale central bank digital currency as a pilot via SIX Digital Exchange, a subsidiary of SIX, an operator of infrastructure for the Swiss and Spanish financial centers. SNB chairman Thomas Jordan said while the Central Bank has not ruled out launching retail CBDCs, the bank is being “a little bit prudent at the moment.” ‘This Is Not Just an Experiment’ The Swiss central bank said on June 26 it intends to issue wholesale central bank digital currency on SIX Digital Exchange, a subsidiary of SIX, an operator of infrastructure for the Swiss and Spanish financial centers. According to Thomas Jordan, the chairman of the Swiss National Bank (SNB), the pilot CBDC project is expected to commence soon and will run for a limited period. However, the SNB chairman who spoke at the Point Zero Forum , revealed that the experiment would involve the use of a real money equivalent. “This is not just an experiment, it will be real money equ

The Dubai Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA) recently announced the schedule of fees “covering the issuance of no-objection certificates to proprietary traders, amendments or withdrawal of licence applications, and the submission of whitepapers for VARA review.” According to VARA, licensed entities seeking to completely withdraw from Dubai will be asked to pay a license withdrawal fee of $3,670. Whitepaper Submission and Review The Dubai digital asset regulator, Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA), recently unveiled a schedule of fees for “the issuance of no-objection certificates to proprietary traders, amendments or withdrawal of licence applications.” Also, in its June 21 announcement, the regulator stated will be accepting and reviewing whitepaper submissions. According to the announcement, proprietary traders in the country will be required to have a so-called no-objection certificate (NOC) before commencing any “proprietary trading in or from the Emirate of Dubai

The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) executive director for Russia says a growing number of countries are switching to trade in Chinese yuan, not only with China but also with third countries. He stressed that it is wrong for the U.S. dollar to be widely used globally given that the U.S. government uses the currency “for the purposes of national interests” and “the economic and financial obligations of one country.” IMF Director on De-Dollarization Gaining Momentum Worldwide The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) executive director for Russia, Aleksei Mozhin, shared his thoughts on the global de-dollarization trend in an interview with RIA Novosti Monday. He explained that Washington’s policies and actions have compelled countries around the world to seek alternatives to the U.S. dollar, noting that more nations are ramping up the use of alternative currencies, particularly the Chinese yuan, in cross-border transactions. The IMF executive director described: We can see that I

On Monday, FTX released a second investigative report accusing co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried and senior executives of commingling customer deposits and corporate funds and misusing them. The report alleges that they spent $243 million on luxury residential real estate for senior staff and family members, as well as on commercial properties. FTX Execs Accused of $243 Million Real Estate Spending Spree, Retaliation, and Fraud A second investigative report by FTX debtors alleges that “commingling and misuse of FTX.com customer deposits occurred for several years.” The report criticizes this fraudulent practice for making it “extraordinarily challenging” to trace the origins of specific transactions or distinguish between operating funds and customer assets. As part of the report, it states that FTX.com owed customers $8.7 billion as of the date of the bankruptcy petition. “The image that the FTX Group sought to portray as the customer-focused leader of the digital age was a mirage,” th

According to several reports, Chibi Finance, the decentralized finance (defi) platform built on top of Arbitrum, allegedly executed an exit scam on its users. Blockchain intelligence firm Peckshield provided a detailed account, revealing that approximately $1 million worth of cryptocurrency assets were illicitly withdrawn and converted into Ethereum. Chiba Finance Becomes 12th Defi Platform on Arbitrum to Exit Scam, Says Smart Contract Auditor Certik On June 27, 2023, the blockchain analysis and intelligence firm Peckshield’s Twitter alert system notified the community about funds being drained from the DeFi application Chiba Finance. “Seems like Chiba Finance rugged,” Peckshield’s alert disclosed on Tuesday. “$1M worth of cryptocurrencies were drained. The stolen funds, which have been swapped for 555 ETH , were bridged from Arbitrum to Ethereum. They have already been transferred into Tornado Cash,” the notice added. All traces of Chiba Finance, including the website, Twitter ac

Bitcoin mining is the highest user of sustainable energy and has similarly achieved the highest increase in sustainable energy mix between July 2019 and June 2023, new data has shown. The data also shows that bitcoin mining’s emission intensity has declined from more than 500 g/kWh seen in July 2021 to the June 2023 figure of 296 g/kWh. Bitcoin Mining Has the Highest Increase in ‘Sustainable Energy Mix’ According to the data comparing bitcoin mining to other industries’ energy mix, the process to extract the top cryptocurrency ranks as “the highest user of sustainable energy (52.6%) across sub-sectors.” The data shows the banking sector as the next highest user of clean energy with 39.2%, while the gold industry is ranked fourth with 12.8%. The data, which is based on the so-called Bitcoin Energy and Emissions Sustainability Tracker (BEEST) model , indicates that Bitcoin mining has also achieved the “highest increase in [the] sustainable energy mix (+38%) during the period charted

PRESS RELEASE. Prepare yourself for the highly anticipated public sale of $GORA on June 28th by staying informed and ready. Rest assured, we have all the vital information about the two launchpads, Poolz and Tokensoft, to guide you through the process seamlessly. This concise guide will provide you with valuable insights and specifics about these platforms, enabling you to navigate the sale with ease. Don’t miss your chance to secure $GORA tokens through Poolz and Tokensoft and be an integral part of the revolutionary Goracle Network. Get ready to join the action! IDO Overview Date: Wednesday, June 28th, 10:00 A.M. UTC Location: we are launching on the following launchpads Tokensoft: Goracle Portal . A well known IDO platform with successful project launches such as The Graph, Tezos & Hedara Hashgraph To participate, complete your KYC (Know Your Customer) process today by visiting http://goracle.tokensoft.io . This step is essential to comply with regulatory requir

While the co-founder of Terraform Labs has been sentenced to four months in jail in Montenegro, a team of six anonymous developers have been attempting to revive the Terra Classic ecosystem after its collapse in May 2022. The six programmers, known as the “Six Samurai,” wholeheartedly believe that luna classic (LUNC) has “limitless upside potential.” Developers Rally to Breathe Life Into Terra Classic Following the collapse of the Terra ecosystem in May 2022, a new blockchain called Phoenix was formed, and the network issued new luna (LUNA) tokens. However, the old blockchain, now referred to as the “Classic” network, continues to exist and has a market valuation of approximately $531 million as of Monday, June 26, 2023. The native token of the Terra Classic chain, now known as luna classic (LUNC), currently trades at around $0.00009140 per unit. A group of developers, self-identified as the “Six Samurai,” now aims to revive the struggling network and infuse new life into the Terr

Global investment bank JPMorgan has presented four probable global outlook scenarios, with “boil the frog” recession emerging as the most likely outcome. The bank’s economists warned: “Broad-based developed-market tightening points to a more synchronized global downturn sometime in 2024.” JPMorgan’s Global Outlook and ‘Boil the Frog’ Recession Global investment bank JPMorgan has provided an overview of four potential global outlook scenarios that it expects to unfold in 2023 and 2024. The bank’s economists believe that the likelihood of the United States entering a recession outweighs the possibility of avoiding one. The most likely outcome, according to JPMorgan, is “boil the frog” recession, with the U.S. slipping into recession at the same time as the rest of the global economy. The economists assigned a 36% probability to this scenario, highlighting that it is primarily driven by the implementation of aggressive monetary tightening in response to persistent inflation. “Centra

American television presenter and author, John Stossel, released a video on June 20, 2023, where he delved into the findings of a recent study on global economic freedom. Conducted by the Heritage Foundation and unveiled in late February, the research unveils a stark reality: the United States has experienced a substantial decline in economic freedom. From being ranked as the 20th freest nation in 2022, the United States has now slipped to the 25th position in 2023. John Stossel’s Video and Heritage Foundation Study Expose Decline in U.S. Economic Freedom John Stossel, the television show host and author known for his libertarian leanings, recently released a video discussing global economic freedom and the United States’ position among other nations. “Is America really the land of the free?” Stossel asked in a tweet. “Not anymore, according to a new ranking. The U.S. fell to 25th freest country on Earth,” the broadcaster explained. In the video, Stossel refers to the 2023 Index o

Bitcoin fell below $31,000 to start the week, as traders seemingly moved to secure gains, as the cryptocurrency became overbought. The relative strength index (RSI) rose to its highest point since January, prompting bears to reenter the market. Ethereum also declined, falling below $1,900. Bitcoin Bitcoin ( BTC ) moved marginally lower to start the week, as price fell below the $31,000 mark on Monday. BTC /USD dropped to an intraday low of $30,042.38 earlier in the day, which comes after price peaked above $31,000 on Sunday. Today’s slippage sees bitcoin decline for a third straight day, and comes as the relative strength index (RSI) moved into overbought territory. Bitcoin chart by TradingView Over the weekend, the index hit a peak of 72.92, which was not only near a ceiling of 73.00, but also its highest point since late January. This reading prompted bears to once again enter the market, pushing the RSI down to a current reading of 68.81. The next visible floor appears t

Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle, the company behind the issuance of usd coin (USDC), has expressed his worries about the state of stablecoin regulation in the U.S. In a congressional hearing, Allaire stated that other governments were already regulating the issuance of digital dollars (dollar-backed stablecoins) and called on the U.S. government to act by issuing stablecoin rules. Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire Calls for Stablecoin Regulation: ‘It’s Time to Act.’ Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle, a U.S.-based stablecoin company, has called for stablecoin regulation to preserve the country’s sovereignty over the issuance of digital dollars. In a congressional hearing, Allaire explained that other countries have already drafted and established frameworks for issuing dollar-backed stablecoins, leaving the U.S. behind. Allaire explained : We are seeing governments around the world — the EU, the U.K., Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and others — actually defining the rules for how dollars, digital

PRESS RELEASE. 10SecLabs, a leading force in the blockchain incubation landscape, has taken a significant investment leap into the innovative Metagalaxy Land project. This development comes ahead of Metagalaxy Land’s much-anticipated Metaverse Platform Launch. Set to be a trailblazer in the GameFi and metaverse arenas, Metagalaxy Land states that this investment has catalyzed considerable progress in their project, enabling it to leap forward towards future releases. Metagalaxy Land’s pre-alpha version, due to launch in early July, promises an exhilarating experience for its users. Assuming the roles of Space Pirates, they’ll explore the ‘Decentralized Planet.’ The adventure involves hunting for Metagalaxy Land points, which are strategically scattered across the map daily. Accumulating these points allows users to scale the leaderboard and reap enticing rewards. Furthermore, while navigating the NFT Exhibition on the Decentralized Planet, users have the ease of accessing the trade

Jim Rickards, an economist and investment banker, has warned about the establishment of a social credit system powered by the issuance of a central bank digital currency (CBDC). According to Rickards, this combination could be used to restrict the civil liberties of Americans by limiting their capabilities to travel and their reach on social media platforms. Jim Rickards on a Hypothetical CBDC-Fueled Social Credit System: ‘Yes, It Can Happen Here’ Jim Rickards, an economist with more than 40 years of experience in investment banking, has warned about a hypothetical social credit system in the U.S. powered by a central bank digital currency (CBDC). In his latest article , Rickards explains that issuing a CBDC would allow the government to get the data needed to construct such a system. Rickards stated that the information collected by monitoring transactions on a CBDC would facilitate “the creation of a social credit system that allows governments to punish those who engage in unapp

A U.K. citizen has been sentenced by а New York court to five years in prison for his role in a Twitter hack including the hijacking of accounts of U.S. political and business figures. The man is also responsible for the theft of large amounts of cryptocurrency in a SIM swap attack. Hacker Goes to Jail for Breaching Twitter Accounts of U.S. Officials and Business Leaders A British national got a five-year prison sentence for his involvement in a Twitter hack that targeted the accounts of leading U.S. politicians and businessmen. The hijacking is one of several crimes that he was charged with, including stealing cryptocurrency and cyberstalking victims. The sentencing comes after Joseph James O’Connor pleaded guilty in New York in May to participating in a number of online schemes including a Twitter hack that led to the impersonation of former U.S. President Barack Obama, President Joe Biden, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and billionaire investor Warren Buffett, among others, to adver

Welcome to Latam Insights, a compendium of Latin America’s most relevant crypto and economic news during the last week. In this issue, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reports interest in central bank digital currencies (CBDC) in Latam and the Caribbean is picking up, Lula criticizes the current international economic system, and Venezuela integrates the Russian Mir payments system. IMF Finds Interest in CBDC Picks up Steam in Latam and the Caribbean A report published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) revealed that interest in central bank digital currencies (CBDC) remains high in Latam and the Caribbean. According to a recent survey with governments of the region, “half of the respondents were considering both retail and wholesale CBDC options.” Brazil is one of the countries experimenting with a two-tiered CBDC model, which is in its proof of concept stage. If issued, it would be connected to the “Open Finance” concept of the Central Bank of Brazil. The reasons for

Mary Daly, the president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank, expressed her views this week, stating that she believes two additional rate hikes this year would be appropriate. However, she maintains a neutral stance regarding the forthcoming July Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, emphasizing her desire to preserve flexibility by “maintaining optionality.” Fed’s Daly Doesn’t Want to ‘Trip the Economy up Into an Unforced Error’ During the June FOMC gathering, the U.S. Federal Reserve members decided to refrain from raising the federal funds rate for that specific meeting. Jerome Powell, the current chairman of the Federal Reserve, informed the media that the upcoming July FOMC meeting would be a “live” one, as it would determine whether or not the central bank would increase the interest rate during that period. Powell then testified before the House Financial Services Committee last Wednesday and indicated that the benchmark bank rate is likely to rise again thi

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse recently asserted that former SEC Division of Corporation Finance Director William Hinman “received millions of dollars of payments from his law firm” which had a vested interest in a well-known 2018 speech given by the then SEC official. In other news, crypto exchange EDX has launched backed by Charles Schwab, Citadel Securities, Fidelity Digital Assets, Paradigm, Sequoia Capital, and Virtu Financial, featuring four cryptocurrencies. This and more in the latest Bitcoin.com News Week in Review. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse: Former SEC Official William Hinman Received ‘Millions of Dollars’ From Law Firms With a ‘Vested Interest’ in His Speech Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has blasted the enforcement approach of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) after the release of the Hinman docs, which contain internal discussions that the institution had before the now famous 2018 speech offered by former SEC Division of Corporation Finance Director Wil

The Bank of England made an impactful move last Thursday, June 22, 2023, as it raised the benchmark bank rate to 5%, marking a significant 0.5 percentage point increase. This decision catapults the central bank’s rate to its highest level since 2008 and represents the most substantial surge in three months. Coinciding with this development, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) published a study on the same day, asserting that the escalated interest rates would translate into elevated mortgage payments, potentially pushing 1.2 million households in the U.K. towards insolvency in 2023. Bank of England’s Interest Rate Hikes Endanger 1.2 Million UK Households’ Financial Stability, NIESR Researchers Say In a noteworthy announcement on Thursday, the Bank of England (BOE) unveiled its decision to increase the key bank rate by 0.5%, propelling it to a solid 5%. Shedding light on the rationale behind this move, the BOE articulated in a blog post that inflation in t

Veteran trader Peter Brandt recently branded BTC as a legacy coin that will ultimately outlast and outperform all “make-believe cryptos wannabees.” Some non-bitcoin maximalists have said the veteran trader’s remarks about bitcoin are misguided and called on him to remain flexible. Maximalist Ideology Veteran trader Peter Brandt recently riled altcoiners after he suggested that bitcoin will outperform and outlast what he described as “make-believe cryptos wannabees.” Brandt made the remarks after Mike Cautillo — a private investor at e-Holdings — concurred with his earlier tweet about BTC ’s impending “decisive breakout.” $Bitcoin $BTC is the legacy coin and will outlast and out-value all of the make-believe cryptos wannabees https://t.co/uzeuKua1qk — Peter Brandt (@PeterLBrandt) June 19, 2023 Matthew Casterns, one of the Twitter users that responded to Brandt’s remarks, said he did not understand the reasoning behind the veteran trader’s assertions. Casterns argued that procl

Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki has shared a very simple way of telling whether an economy is in a recession. “There is a lot of hot air about ‘Are we in a recession or not.’ The answer is simple,” the famous author claimed. Robert Kiyosaki on How to Tell if We’re in a Recession The author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, has explained how to tell if the economy is in a recession. 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. Kiyosaki tweeted Thursday: There is a lot of hot air about ‘Are we in a recession or not.’ The answer is simple. My rich dad said ‘If your neighbor loses his job, the economy is in a recession. You lose job, economy in depression. KISS. Keep It Super Simple. Be an entrepreneur. Never need a job. The famous author has cautioned about a

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s former head of internet enforcement has warned that Binance’s recent motion accusing the regulator of ethical violations could expedite criminal charges against the crypto exchange. “Binance’s motion is provocative and Binance’s antagonistic, arrogant, accusatory, and unorthodox ethics battle-cry could fan the flames of whatever Binance-related criminal prosecution is cooking,” the former SEC official cautioned. ‘Binance Will Regret Having Ever Filed This Motion’ Former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) official John Reed Stark has provided insight into the potential consequences of Binance’s recent motion against the regulator, stating that it could expedite the process of bringing criminal charges against the cryptocurrency exchange. Stark is currently president of cybersecurity firm John Reed Stark Consulting. He founded and served as chief of the SEC Office of Internet Enforcement for 11 years. He was also an SEC en