Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

The price of an ounce of gold dropped dramatically this week, slipping under the $1,700 handle to $1,688 per ounce on August 8. On Monday, gold regained some of the losses jumping 2.36% back above the $1.7K region to $1,727 per ounce of fine gold. Gold’s Volatile Movements This Weekend Blamed on a Number of Elements While bitcoin ( BTC ) prices are up more than 4% on Monday and over 16% during the last week, the value of gold has been dropping lower in fiat value. On August 6, 2021, the price of gold per ounce was trading for just over $1,800 per unit and slid to $1,688 per unit two days later losing 6.22% in value. The precious metals (PM) news outlet Kitco said the drop was due to an “overnight flash crash in gold and silver prices.” The report blamed the crash on “summertime doldrums” and “thin trading conditions.” Moreover, the Delta Variant strain of Covid-19 has caused alarm across markets, Kitco’s Jim Wyckoff details. Peter Brandt, a veteran futures and FX trader since 1

Five U.S. senators have been working with the Treasury Department and have come up with a compromise crypto amendment to the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. “We’ve worked with the Treasury Department to clarify the underlying text and ensure that those who are not acting as brokers will not be subject to the bill’s reporting requirements.” Senators, Treasury Department Agree on Compromise Amendment for Crypto Reporting Requirements The U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs announced Monday that Senators Pat Toomey (R-Pa,) Mark Warner (D-Va.) Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Az.), and Rob Portman (R-Oh.) have reached “an agreement on digital asset reporting requirements” in the infrastructure bill . The announcement details: We’ve worked with the Treasury Department to clarify the underlying text and ensure that those who are not acting as brokers will not be subject to the bill’s reporting requirements. In the press conference held Monday on

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Poloniex with operating an unregistered cryptocurrency exchange. Poloniex has agreed to a cease-and-desist order and to pay $10.34 million. SEC Hits Poloniex With Cease-and-Desist Order, Penalties The SEC announced Monday that “Poloniex LLC has agreed to pay more than $10 million to settle charges for operating an unregistered online digital asset exchange.” From July 2017 through November 2019, Poloniex “facilitated buying and selling of digital asset securities.” The SEC explained that the platform was available to U.S. investors but “Poloniex did not register as a national securities exchange” and was not exempt from registration. Its failure to do so was a violation of Section 5 of the Exchange Act. “Poloniex attempted to circumvent the SEC’s regulatory regime,” said Kristina Littman, chief of the SEC Enforcement Division’s Cyber Unit. “Poloniex chose increased profits over compliance with the federal securities law

The deputy governor of India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), says the bank should be able to come up with a central bank digital currency (CBDC) model by the end of this year. India May Unveil a CBDC Model by Year End The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may unveil a model of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) by the end of the year, Deputy Governor T. Rabi Sankar said Friday at the post-Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) press conference. Without providing further details, he described: These are extremely evolving technologies and business choices that one has to make, and therefore it’s difficult to put a date, but we should be able to come up with a model in the near future, probably by the end of this year. The deputy governor continued: “We are evaluating the issue of scope, technology, distribution and validation mechanism etc.” Last month, he revealed that the central bank was working on a “phased implementation strategy” for India’s CBDC and also “examin

The largest telecommunications provider in Europe, Deutsche Telekom AG, announced on Monday that it will be leveraging Coinbase Custody to hold the firm’s celo tokens. Celo is a mobile-first platform that connects to decentralized apps, is EVM compatible, and the network allows holders to stake the crypto asset. While keeping the celo tokens with Coinbase Custody, Deutsche Telekom will stake the tokens for its subsidiary T-Systems MMS. Deutsche Telekom Plans to Secure Celo Tokens With Coinbase Custody Deutsche Telekom AG, the owner of mobile communications brand T-Mobile, has revealed the firm is participating in the decentralized cryptocurrency economy. The major telecom company is the largest in Europe since it was introduced in 1995, after breaking away from the state-owned Deutsche Bundespost in order to become privatized. Deutsche Telekom has since managed to become a Fortune 500 company and is currently ranked in the top 100 firms. On Monday, the firm revealed it was utilizin

To demonstrate the use case and commercial viability of Unido Enterprise Platform (EP) , it is helpful to compare with an established digital asset management platform which has built in DeFi options. Enzyme (MLN) has been selected for competitor comparison and analysis, given it launched in July 2016 and provides similar services and features as EP, albeit delivered in very different formats. Enzyme is delivered in two parts, a front end website for asset management and an Ethereum-native blockchain protocol to deploy custom liquidity pools, allowing investors to deploy their digital assets (limited to Ethereum-based tokens) in yield returning activities, without the use of investment managers, hedge funds, or other fund management companies. Given on-chain assets on the Enzyme platform are governed by a client’s single private key, the product offering is only suitable for individuals willing to take responsibility for their private key. There is no multi party signoff or compatib

In much of Africa, many people still lack access to basic financial services for many reasons. One of the reasons is that financial institutions have set standards or thresholds that make it impossible for low-income earners to even open a bank account. Access to soft loans or other forms of financing is even more cumbersome while the punitive interest rates charged ensure that SMEs, farmers, and other groups do not even entertain the idea of borrowing banks. The fact that this has been ongoing for many years is a clear indication that the conventional banking system has failed these groups. This particular failure is another example of why an alternative financial system is needed. It also explains why more emerging fintech start-ups are now attempting to solve this. One of such start-ups is Koinwa , a crypto borrowing platform. Bitcoin.com News recently discussed solving the problem with the startup’s CEO, Disu Hakeem to understand how the application is helping financially exclu

Arbitrum, an Ethereum Layer-2 (L2) scaling solution, announced it would launch its mainnet for users this August. The tool, which allows Ethereum users to transact with very low fees, had launched in beta version last June, with support from some key projects in the Ethereum sphere, like Uniswap, who received a community vote to integrate it. The project will also launch Arbitrum One, which will have up-to-date information about the projects using its network. Arbitrum To Launch This August Arbitrum , the Ethereum L2 rollup, has announced it will launch in mainnet beta this month, opening its service to regular users who want to issue projects using the scaling solution. Till now, Arbitrum had been operating in a sort of a sandbox, with more than 250 projects applying to build using the Optimistic rollup tech. Arbitrum will allow users to transact almost instantly with negligible fees, aiming to massify adoption. Offchain Labs, the company behind the Arbitrum project, states that

A Brazilian federal court ordered the sale of a bitcoin stash worth $1.1 million. The sale was conducted by the largest regulated exchange in the country, Mercado Bitcoin. The Federal Police seized the bitcoin sold from Tradergroup, a company that allegedly was operating as a Ponzi scheme, under the facade of being a cryptocurrency investment company. This is the first time a Brazilian court order initiated a bitcoin sale from seized assets in the country. Brazilian Court Ordered to Sell Tradergroup’s Seized Bitcoins A federal court in Espirito Santo ordered the sale of $1.1 million worth of bitcoins that were seized by Federal police back in 2019 from Tradergroup, an alleged Ponzi scheme that was operating under the cover of a cryptocurrency investment company. The company was intervened as part of the “Madoff” operation, where 43 Federal Police officers executed five searches and seizure warrants in Espírito Santo, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Acre. The proceeds of this sale will be d

Digital assets have seen great success as investment tools in recent years, but payment adoption is unfortunately still lagging behind. Alchemy Pay is well on its mission to change this by enabling millions of merchants to accept crypto payments and get paid in their local currency. At the same time, Alchemy Pay also opens up investments in the DeFi space to fiat investors. Pay With Crypto at the Bar or Online With Alchemy Pay Alchemy Pay is a hybrid fiat and digital currency gateway solution for businesses and investors. It already operates in 18 countries and regions around the world and has touchpoints with more than 2 million merchants through partnerships with industry giants such as Shopify, Arcadier, QFPay, Binance and more. By enabling businesses to accept crypto clients and get paid in local fiat currency Alchemy Pay solves a major problem for the crypto economy. Crypto payments adoption is vital for the long term and sustainable growth for the industry, but traditional

Youtube superstar and rapper KSI, also known as JJ, says he is “really into crypto.” Emphasizing that “Bitcoin is the future,” he said a lot of people do not understand that crypto “is a long-haul thing.” KSI Is ‘Really Into Crypto’ Famed rapper and popular Youtuber KSI talked about bitcoin and cryptocurrency in an interview with GQ magazine published Friday. KSI, whose real name is Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji, is also known as JJ. He was ranked second by The Sunday Times in its list of the top 100 U.K. influencers in 2019. He is also part of the British Youtube group known as the Sidemen. Responding to a question about the first thing he would do if he were prime minister, KSI said: I’d give everyone £100 worth of bitcoin – like a bitcoin stimulus package for all. I’m really into crypto. I think Bitcoin is the future. “It’s definitely going to be long term, but in ten years’ time, people who invested will be laughing,” he added. KSI proceeded to compare bitcoin

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a longtime bitcoin skeptic, has shared her view of the benefits of cryptocurrencies. While noting that “The biggest upside to cryptocurrency could be expansion or democratization of access to the financial system,” she warned that the crypto industry may need federal bailout if something goes wrong, such as “a run on crypto.” Senator Elizabeth Warren Discusses the Biggest Upside and Downside to Cryptocurrencies Senator Elizabeth Warren was asked about what she thought the U.S. cryptocurrency regulation should look like in an interview with Bloomberg last week. “If people are going to be out there trading it, there needs to be a cop on the beat,” she began. “Because when there’s not a cop on the beat in any market, then it’s the small traders who get cheated, and that’s what always worries me.” The senator from Massachusetts continued: “This is about putting some basic rules in place so that anyone can trade with just some basic confidence that the big

The founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, is still concerned that governments could outlaw cryptocurrencies. Nonetheless, he sees bitcoin as digital gold and owns some for diversification. Ray Dalio Worried About Government Outlawing Cryptocurrencies Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio is still concerned that governments may outlaw cryptocurrency. Dalio now serves as the firm’s chairman and co-chief investment officer. Bridgewater Associates’ clients include endowments, governments, foundations, pensions, and sovereign wealth funds. Dalio voiced his concern in an interview with CNBC last week, stating that there is “a reasonable chance” that cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, could eventually be outlawed by the federal government. He pointed to the time when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Gold Reserve Act in 1934, transferring all of the country’s privately held gold titles and certificates to the U.S. Treasury as an example. The exe

Clifford Smith Jr., better known by his stage name Method Man from the rap supergroup the Wu-Tang Clan, announced plans to launch a non-fungible token (NFT) collection called “Tical World.” The tokenized comics and Killa Beez-centric art was designed by the New York artist Alex Smetsky. Wu-Tang Member Method Man to Launch Killa Beez-Centric NFTs The popular member of the rap supergroup Wu-Tang Clan, Method Man has revealed he’s stepping into the non-fungible token (NFT) industry. Method Man is releasing an NFT comic series called the “Tical World” chronicles and “Part 1: The Origin,” which offers a slew of features from the Wu-Tang rapper. The NFT will include never-before-released music from Method Man, 3D animations, and apparel. The well known member of the rap supergroup Wu-Tang Clan, Method Man. Essentially, in terms of apparel, the NFT owner can get a VIP rewards card from the American rapper’s clothing line Tical Athletics . Last year, Method Man also launched a cannabis

The notorious dogecoin has seen double-digit gains this past week as statistics show the meme-crypto asset has gained 19.66% during the last seven days. Out of the top ten digital currencies in terms of market capitalization, dogecoin has outshined the competition, even surpassing ethereum’s 18% weekly gains. Dogecoin’s Weekly Gains Outshine the Competition, Google Trends Data Shows DOGE Interest Dive-Bombed After May At the time of writing, both the topic dogecoin and the hashtag #dogecointothemoon have been trending on social media Sunday afternoon. As far as interest is concerned, Google Trends (GT) data shows that the search queries for the terms “dogecoin” and “doge” have dropped very low. #DogecoinToTheMoon — Vikash Rao 🇮🇳🇦🇪 (@Vikash17971677) August 8, 2021 During the first week of May, the term “dogecoin” topped the highest score on GT with a score of 100, while the term “doge” hit a 29. Today, the query score for “dogecoin” is only 6 and the search term “doge” i

U.S. Senator Mike Lee has raised concerns that adopting the crypto tax provision in the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill will stifle innovation and make Americans poorer. He explained that cryptocurrencies are not like securities and cannot be regulated with the same policies, noting that to do so would drive innovation offshore. Senator Mike Lee Warns Passing Unproven Legislation Will Stifle Innovation While outlining concerns he has about numerous provisions in the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill during the Senate session Saturday, U.S. Senator Mike Lee from Utah drew attention to the provision about cryptocurrency, which he described as “an industry that’s rapidly developing within the United States.” He noted that the crypto provision “seeks to require those who buy and sell cryptocurrency to treat it the same way as they would the exchange of securities.” However, the senator argued that cryptocurrencies are “very different than securities.” He added: “These aren’t just s

The chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gary Gensler, says that Satoshi Nakamoto’s innovation is real. “It has been and could continue to be a catalyst for change in the fields of finance and money,” he said. Satoshi Nakamoto’s Innovation Is Real SEC Chairman Gary Gensler talked about bitcoin and cryptocurrency regulation last week at the Aspen Security Forum where he outlined his plans to regulate the crypto space. He began by referencing the Bitcoin whitepaper and its creator, the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto. “His innovation spurred the development of crypto assets and the underlying blockchain technology,” Gensler said about Satoshi, adding that “the crypto asset class has ballooned” and is now worth about $1.83 trillion. Noting that when he was at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) prior to being confirmed as the head of the SEC, he researched, wrote, and taught on the subject of bitcoin, cryptocurrency, and blockchain technology. Ge

Last month, the popular bitcoin analyst and creator of the stock-to-flow price model, Plan B, explained that he believed the “bull is not over.” On August, 6, Plan B is still showing confidence in his forecast and reconfirmed his message from last month. Meanwhile, bitcoin prices have been able to bounce back and on Sunday, bitcoin prices tapped a high of $45,355. Plan B Shows Confidence in Previous Forecast While Bitcoin Prices Tap Fresh Highs Bitcoin ( BTC ) has been on a tear lately and oddly enough in the face of regulatory uncertainty in the United States. BTC has gained over 11% during the last seven days and 30-day stats show the leading crypto asset is up 31% against the U.S. dollar. Since the opening trading sessions on August 5, at $39,734 per BTC , the crypto asset has gained 12.97% in three days. Moreover, following the bullish action, the infamous pseudonym leveraged by the Twitter account @100trillionusd, also known as “Plan B,” seems more confident the bitcoin bull

PRESS RELEASE. AscendEX , a global cryptocurrency financial platform with a comprehensive product suite, is excited to announce the Port Finance token (PORT) under the pair USDT/ PORT on Aug 9 at 2 p.m. UTC. Port Finance is a money-market, non-custodial liquidity protocol on Solana. They aim to provide a comprehensive suite of lending products, including variable-rate lending, fixed-rate lending, and interest rate swap. Their idea is to take advantage of the growth in size and capability of the Solana network. Port Finance brings interest rate markets to the Solana ecosystem. It leverages the Solana blockchain’s high speed and low latency with a product suite that includes variable rate lending, fixed-rate lending, and interest rate swaps. Port Finance takes a three-step approach; they provide a baseline lending protocol similar to Compound and Aave on Ethereum. Secondly, they launch a fixed rate lending protocol that utilizes the Serum order book. And finally, they build out an in

British bank Standard Chartered will offer cryptocurrency broker services in Ireland through its Zodia Custody subsidiary. The digital asset custodian will focus on signing up institutional investors in the Republic which has become a European base for many financial institutions and crypto companies. Standard Chartered to Provide Crypto Custody to Institutions in Ireland Zodia Custody, the Standard Chartered Bank’s crypto brokerage, is planning to offer its services to institutional investors in Ireland, the Irish daily Independent revealed on Sunday. The company operates as an exchange and brokerage for cryptocurrencies and other digital assets. The crypto custodian platform was established late last year by the U.K. bank’s SC Ventures subsidiary and U.S.-based wealth and asset management firm Northern Trust. Both parent companies have already invested heavily in blockchain services in the past few years, the newspaper noted. The joint venture specializes in managing investment