Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

After the Central Bank of Nigeria issued a directive targeting the country’s cryptocurrency industry, bitcoin and altcoin trade volumes on centralized exchanges immediately plunged. Nevertheless, the new regulations seem to have succeeded in boosting crypto trade volumes on informal markets or on peer-to-peer trading platforms. Nigerian Crypto Traders Get Creative Still, the increasing trades on informal platforms have also led to increased reports of users losing money to con artists. Moreover, with the CBN seemingly eager to see volumes of crypto trades plummet, Nigerian users had to find ingenious but legal ways of getting around the central bank’s imposed restrictions. As shown in one local report , one such legal way is through an app created by one local crypto start-up, Patricia. According to the report, this application is already enabling Nigerian users to buy or sell their crypto assets securely and without running afoul of CBN regulations. Therefore, in this report, we r

PRESS RELEASE. AscendEX, formerly BitMax, an industry-leading digital asset trading platform built by Wall Street quant trading veterans, has announced the listing of the Julswap Token (JULD) under the pair USDT/JULD on Apr 16 at 1:00 p.m. UTC. JulSwap is a community-centric decentralized exchange that helps crypto projects raise liquidity by conducting IDOs, organizing staking pools, and conducting liquidity mining in a decentralized fashion through the innovative power of JULD tokens. JulSwap offers governance structure to JULD holders who can vote for governance. The purpose of that is to ensure that appropriate structures are in place for managing the protocol in a controlled and orderly way. The major benefit of good governance is that team members can remain focused on their goals instead of wasting time in political debates about what is or is not allowed. JulSwap is often compared with projects like Uniswap, but Julswap has many more unique products available to user

Since April 15, the Bitcoin network hashrate has dropped more than 49% after touching an all-time high at 218 exahash per second. Regional reports noted that in China the Xinjiang grid is having blackouts and “safety inspections.” Reports Claim Blackouts in Xinjiang, China Have Pushed Bitcoin’s Hashrate Down 49% At the time of writing, the Bitcoin ( BTC ) network hashrate has seen a 49% drop off after touching an all-time high (ATH). Data shows on April 15, BTC ’s hashrate climbed to a massive 218 exahash per second (EH/s). Almost immediately after that point, the network hashrate started to spiral downwards. When the hashrate started dropping the regional reporter Colin Wu ( @wublockchain ) tweeted about electrical grid blackouts in China. “The hashrate of bitcoin mining pools plummeted in 24 hours. Antpool fell by 24.5%, Btc.com fell by 18.9%, Poolin fell by 33%, Binance pool fell by 20%,” Wu tweeted . “The reason is that Northwest China is undergoing a complete blackout for s

The world’s largest provider of cryptocurrency payment services, Bitpay has announced the company is joining the Square-founded crypto patent effort the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA). Bitpay has been working with blockchain products since 2011 and the firm will share open-source projects and use a shared patent library with the crypto patent organization. Bitpay Joins Crypto Patent Effort COPA The Atlanta-based cryptocurrency payment and blockchain company Bitpay is joining forces with COPA. The Crypto Open Patent Alliance was originally invoked by Square, Inc., and the organization bolsters open access to patents and protection from patent threats. On January 1, 2020, the San Francisco-based company which was just listed on Nasdaq, Coinbase, joined COPA’s mission as well. The founder and CEO of Bitpay, Stephen Pair, believes partnering with COPA is a step forward toward innovation. “Bitpay is partnering with and supporting COPA because we believe that the blockchain space

Bitcoin.com Games brings $110,000 worth of smiles and happiness to this player! Massive Win on ‘Elvis Frog in Vegas’ Earlier in March, a fortunate player cashed out $160,000 in two epic winning rounds on The Dog House Megaways slot at Bitcoin.com Games . Now, another lucky player has bagged over $110,000 from a small bet of 0.0015 BTC on one of the most popular slot games on the casino – Elvis Frog in Vegas . With a 5×3 layout, this entertaining slot sees the titular character taking to the microphone with his female frog side-kick to put players in just the right mood for big wins. 1,195x multiplier applied to player’s bets resulting in a total win amount of $110,000 on Elvis Frog in Vegas slot! . The big win left the player with an experience that is reported to be one of the happiest moments in the player’s life. Astonishing that a bet worth such a small amount of BTC can flip the fortune in anyone’s favor. The game that the player landed a winning round in, is able t

Two executives of Mirror Trading International (MTI) have been summoned by a high court in connection with another cryptocurrency investment scam called BTC Global. The court summons followed a civil lawsuit filed by 18 plaintiffs demanding compensation from them. Two MTI Executives Linked to BTC Global Scam A High Court summons was issued to Clynton Marks, Cheri Marks, and Andrew Caw in connection to a bitcoin investment scam called BTC Global, South African news outlet Mybroadband reported last week, noting that it has seen the court document. The court summons followed a civil lawsuit filed by 18 plaintiffs demanding compensation of R2.5 million (approximately $174,662) plus 7% annual interest for the losses they have suffered from the BTC Global scam. In addition, they asked the court for “further and alternative relief” and the legal costs they have incurred as part of the lawsuit. The court document explains that between September 2017 and March 2018, the defendants “con

Famed Silicon Valley “super angel” investor Ron Conway sees the crypto economy as the next multitrillion-dollar opportunity in innovation. The Silicon Valley legend likens Coinbase to Google after the company’s IPO via a direct listing on Nasdaq. Crypto Is the Next Multitrillion Dollar Opportunity in Innovation Legendary investor Ron Conway, who is often described as a Silicon Valley “super angel,” discussed the state of the crypto market and its future outlook in an interview with CNBC Wednesday. Conway, an early investor of Coinbase, likens the company to Google. An American venture capitalist and philanthropist, who is considered the “Godfather of Silicon Valley,” Conway has placed more bets on Internet startups than anyone else in Silicon Valley. He was an early angel investor in Google, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Paypal, Airbnb, Square, and Pinterest to name a few. Regarding the crypto market, the famed investor said: “If you start at the very top of the funnel. Look at the m

Shark Tank star Barbara Corcoran, the entrepreneur who turned a $1,000 loan into a billion-dollar real estate empire, says she will get rich by investing in real estate, not cryptocurrencies. The American investor takes every extra dime she has and puts it in real estate, emphasizing that she will get rich nice and slow this way. Investing in Real Estate vs. Cryptocurrency Real estate entrepreneur Barbara Corcoran shared her view on cryptocurrency and bitcoin in an interview with TMZ this week while out and about in Union Square in New York City. Corcoran is the American investor famed for building a billion-dollar real estate empire with just a $1,000 loan. She is also a star of the popular ABC television show “Shark Tank” and the author of the best seller book “Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business.” Firstly, she was asked if “Cryptocurrency is all the rage right now.” The shark tank star promptly replied, “of course.” Given that she is an old-school i

Canada has been approving crypto exchange-traded funds (ETF) more quickly than the United States and after three successful bitcoin ETFs, the country has approved three ethereum-based ETFs. The three ether ETFs in Canada will debut on Toronto’s stock exchange (TSX) on April 20, 2021. Three Ethereum ETFs Set to Launch in Canada Next Week Back in February, Bitcoin.com News reported on the launch of the first North American bitcoin exchange-traded fund. A few days later, the fund called the “Purpose Bitcoin ETF” captured massive volume with $165 million traded at the time. The three new ether-based ETFs will be provided by CI Global Asset Management, Purpose Investments, and Evolve ETFs. All three will appear on Toronto’s stock exchange (TSX) this Tuesday. Both Purpose and Evolve already sponsor crypto ETFs, and CI Global Asset Management aims to join the fray. CI Global is working with Bitcoin bull and billionaire investor Mike Novogratz’s Galaxy Digital. Novogratz’s organization

The Texas-based Blockcap Incorporated revealed the blockchain and mining firm has mined approximately 544 bitcoins during the first quarter of 2021. Blockcap says the $33 million worth of bitcoin stems from the firm’s fleet of 12,176 mining rigs. Blockcap Rakes in 544 Bitcoins During the last three months, bitcoin ( BTC ) markets have seen phenomenal gains and alongside the price rises bitcoin miners are pulling in profits. This week the Austin-based firm Blockcap revealed its Q1 earnings in terms of bitcoin ( BTC ) revenue. The company has acquired $33 million or 544 bitcoins during the first quarter. Bitcoin.com News recently reported on Blockcap moving its headquarters to Austin. At the time, former governor of Texas, Rick Perry welcomed Blockcap for bringing tech innovation to Texas. The company acquired the 544 bitcoins this year by leveraging 12,176 mining rigs and Blockcap hopes to deploy more machines. Blockcap says by next year it hopes to get 43,000 bitcoin mining rig

Kotani Pay, a Kenya based digital currency on and off-ramp service provider, has entered into an agreement wherein it will enable the transfer of universal basic income (UBI) payments to African refugees. Working in conjunction with the Refugee Integration Organisation (RIO) and Impact Market, the fintech start-up, which uses the Celo blockchain, will use its platform to ensure payments reach the intended beneficiaries. Using the Blockchain Without the Internet According to Kotani Pay’s recent post on Medium, the start-up’s partnership with RIO and Impact Market will also see non-smartphone holders benefitting. Commenting on this unique feature, Kotani Pay said: (The partnership) is achieving a never-before-done implementation of UBI through a stablecoin that is available to non-smartphone users. This is a pioneering achievement in the world of UBI, digital currencies, and the inclusivity of refugees. The fintech start-up adds it is providing a familiar interface that works on

Brazil’s first crypto ETF debut is postponed, but not because plans have failed whatsoever. The Bank of Brazil (Banco do Brasil) is now joining the bandwagon of ETF issuances, following the same steps as Bank Itaú and BTG Pactual did. New Launch Date Set for April 26 According to a letter sent by Hashdex to its clients, the state-backed banking institution will be able to offer its customers the possibility of buying the crypto ETF of Hashdex, which will have the ticker “HASH11.” That said, the Bank of Brazil’s customers could have exposure by investing in the fund, which will replicate the Nasdaq Crypto Index (NCI). The letter clarifies that the new date of the ETF debut is set to take place on April 26, 2021, as the original date was April 22. With such maneuver, the banking institution becomes the first public bank in the world to offer such kind of exposure. Subscription orders can be made until April 20, according to Hashdex, and the only ones who can be able to do it are a

The well known software developer Luke Dashjr is in the midst of controversy over how to upgrade the Bitcoin network in order to add the Taproot protocol. Bitcoin Core developers want to upgrade with “Speedy trial,” which will allow miners to push the feature through. However, Luke Dashjr wants to upgrade in a different manner, and considers the proposal an “attack on Bitcoin” as it’s “not a good thing” from his perspective. Bitcoin Developers Find Controversy Over Taproot Activation Bitcoin developers have revealed “Speedy trial support for versionbits #21377,” which aims to implement Taproot via BTC miner activation. The activation would “Start soon: shortly after the release of software containing this proposed activation logic, nodes will begin counting blocks towards the 90% threshold required to lock in taproot,” David A. Harding’s description notes. A great number of developers have participated in the “Speedy trial” conversation including programmers like Jeremy Rubin ,

Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has revealed that talks with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) regarding the regulation of cryptocurrencies are ongoing. The securities regulator also reiterated that due to a CBN directive that was issued on February 7, 2021, the crypto guidelines it issued in September 2020 remain suspended. Crypto Guidelines Set Aside However, the regulator promises that at the conclusion of its engagements with the CBN, stakeholders will be informed of the outcome. Meanwhile, in his comments that were made during a Q1 Capital Market Committee (CMC) virtual conference, Lamido Yuguda, the director-general of SEC, tries to justify the regulator’s decision to suspend its own guidelines . He said: Because of the lack of access to commercial bank accounts, we had to suspend our own guidelines of September 2020, the implementation of that circular is suspended until these operators are able to have access to Nigerian bank accounts. He adds this wa

Back in mid-February, Bitcoin.com News reported on Miami’s Mayor Francis Suarez supporting the idea of the city holding bitcoin in the treasury and allowing tax payments in bitcoin as well. On April 15, 2021, reports show that the city may introduce the tax payments concept soon, as the District 8 county commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins has pushed for the invocation of a Miami-Dade digital currency task force. A Resolution for a Cryptocurrency Task Force Has Been Submitted to an Infrastructure Committee in Miami-Dade A few years ago at The North American Bitcoin Conference (TNABC) in Miami, Mayor Francis Suarez told the audience that he wanted the city to become a cryptocurrency and blockchain hub for innovation. Later, as digital currencies have seen fresh new price highs in 2021, Suarez has pushed for the city to hold bitcoin ( BTC ) in the treasury and wants to allow tax payments in BTC as well. At the time the city commissioners voted in support for the crypto infrastructur

The moderators of the famous Reddit forum Wallstreetbets, known for putting Gamestop (GME) stock prices on the map as a worldwide trending topic, lifted a ban on all discussions related to bitcoin, ethereum, and dogecoin. However, the decision has been reversed after a recently published Bloomberg article. Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin Were Allowed to Discuss for Just One Day On April 14, 2021, Wallstreetbets moderators issued a statement, commenting about why they’ve been banning crypto-related discussions within their threads, citing that its main focus is the stock market. They continued to elaborate on the matter: After much deliberation, we’ve decided to allow for discussion about only BTC , ETH and DOGE only inside of a daily Crypto discussion thread as to not burden everyone with crypto spam. All rules will still apply outside of the thread but for now please keep it in the daily thread only as we gauge if this is something that is right for our sub. Just to be clear, we ar

PRESS RELEASE. Blockchain eco project SafeEarth has donated over $100,000 to TheOceanCleanUp charity with more donations planned for other global charities. 16th April, 2021, London, UK — SafeEarth , a blockchain eco project, has donated over $100,000 to community selected charity TheOceanCleanUp. The donated funds will help towards the removal of plastic waste from the planet. This generous donation represents the first act of SafeEarth’s continuing initiative to help charities across the globe. The money was raised from SAFEEARTH token transaction fees. From each token transaction a portion of the fees will continue to be used for further donations to charities that focus on green initiatives as SafeEarth looks to effect a lasting and positive change on the planet. The Ocean Cleanup Head of IT Steven Bink offered his thanks to Safe Earth on Twitter, stating: “ Dear SafeEarth community. On behalf of the entire crew at The Ocean Cleanup, I would like to thank you for this very