Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

During the last few years, smart contracts and blockchain oracles have transformed the crypto industry, and one specific project called Chainlink is the most widely used oracle network to-date. Another interesting thing about Chainlink is the project’s creator, Sergey Nazarov has been a Satoshi Nakamoto suspect in recent times. Last year, a number of reports attempted to prove that Nazarov could be Bitcoin’s creator by leveraging circumstantial evidence and speculation. Chainlink Founder Sergey Nazarov Deemed a Satoshi Suspect Over the last few years, news.Bitcoin.com has written extensively on what some people believe is the greatest mystery of all within the cryptocurrency space. A great number of sleuths are hunting for Satoshi Nakamoto and the whereabouts of all the bitcoins the creator mined while kick-starting the network. Our newsdesk has also created a comprehensive list of all the Satoshi Nakamoto suspects and the most recent on our list is a present-day theory. Last year

A panel of experts at the United Nations says that North Korea has amassed $316 million in cryptocurrencies from various cyberattacks on crypto exchanges and financial institutions. The panel also investigated North Korea’s involvement in the $281 million hack of a crypto exchange. UN Expert Panel Sheds Light on North Korea’s Cyberattack Activities A United Nations panel of experts has submitted a draft report reviewing the measures on North Korea to the Security Council’s North Korea Sanctions Committee. Nikkei says it has obtained a copy of the document, noting that it will be made public after discussion and revisions by the council’s board member nations. The report highlights that North Korea’s “total theft of virtual assets from 2019 to November 2020 is valued at approximately $316.4 million,” citing one unidentified country. North Korea allegedly uses cyberattacks against financial institutions and crypto exchanges to generate money to support its weapons of mass destruction

PRESS RELEASE. After transforming businesses across various industries, blockchain has combined with MLM (Multi-level Marketing) to bring profound, positive changes in the industry. India’s Antier Solutions has executed transactions worth a 100 million USD across its blockchain based MLM platforms . At the core of blockchain technology is a “shared distributed ledger” where the data and transactions are recorded. This distributed ledger is accessible to everyone on the network, thereby promoting transparency. Blockchain acts as a new type of database system that allows multiple parties to share access to the same data, at virtually the same time, enabling an unprecedented level of confidence. Furthermore, blockchain holds huge potential to automate and expedite business processes by using smart contracts that eliminate the involvement of any third-party to perform the operations. Although almost every industry is ripe for blockchain adoption, one area that holds significant pote

After previously claiming that Elon Musk was too smart to buy bitcoin, Euro Pacific Capital CEO Peter Schiff is reacting angrily to reports that Tesla has acquired the cryptocurrency. In a series of tweets on February 8, Schiff now claims that Musk has no interest in bitcoin’s store of value credentials but is only interested in pumping the crypto. BTC Bias Allegations In its filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Tesla says it decided to acquire bitcoin because it fits with the company’s updated investment policy. According to the company, this new policy, which provides Tesla with the flexibility to diversify and maximise returns on idle cash, authorizes the company to buy gold bullion as well. However, in one of his tweets, Schiff appears to take aim at Musk and Tesla for choosing to announce the BTC acquisition while not mentioning anything about gold. Schiff says: Though Tesla’s SEC filing also authorizes the purchase of gold, no purchases were d

India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has answered some questions regarding cryptocurrency in Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India’s parliament. The questions include measures the government plans to impose on the crypto industry. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Answers Crypto Questions in Parliament The Indian finance minister answered four questions Tuesday in Rajya Sabha regarding the “trading in cryptocurrency,” including measures outlined in the crypto bill. Minister Sushil Kumar Modi asked the minister of finance whether “a ban was imposed on bitcoin trading in 2018,” which was later lifted by the supreme court, whether other cryptocurrencies are still banned, and whether “despite the ban, illegal trading of cryptocurrency is still being done on a large scale.” To these questions, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman replied: “In view of the risks associated with virtual currencies (VCs), including bitcoins, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), vide circular dated April 6,

Following the outcry over the Central Bank of Nigeria’s latest directive that targets cryptocurrencies, the institution has reaffirmed its stance with another statement. In the latest five-page document, the CBN insists that this directive is intended to protect the country’s financial system from the “risks” that are associated with cryptocurrencies. Debunked Claims Still, the central bank claims the directive has “not placed any new restrictions on cryptocurrencies” but is only regurgitating what was said four years ago. In January 2017, the CBN published a circular which claimed then that the use of cryptocurrencies was against the “key mandate of the CBN as the issuer of legal tender in the country.” Nevertheless, the country has since seen the use of cryptocurrencies grow and now Nigeria ranks as one of the leading cryptocurrency markets in the world. Despite the apparent embrace of cryptocurrencies, the CBN statement appears to ignore this evidence. Instead, the statement

Launchpool : noun – A group of crypto industry participants who pool together resources to launch projects. The concept behind the project is to bring investors together, aligning all for the benefit of everyone and the project. Each investor is put on the same footing and given the same incentive to see the project grow, this will result in the betterment of the collective rather than a few individuals that is often the case. This project is in no way affiliated with Binance or the Binance Launchpool. Introducing Launchpool One of the most exciting projects brewing recently is Launchpool. With some really big names behind it LP has been gaining support from every corner of the industry. This was achieved by bringing some of the biggest names in the space together. Each of the funds will provide part of their deal flow to the Launchpool community at the same price they paid and under the same vesting terms; this is what brings everyone onto the same footing and provides transparenc

Over $3 billion worth in bitcoin seized by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), belonging to Silk Road, are likely linked to a former U.S. Secret Service agent. The latest findings suggest that “Individual X” is, in fact, Shaun Bridges. Bridges Is Set to Be Freed in November Per recent court filings, cited by Fortune , the 69,370 bitcoins taken by the law enforcement also have possible ties with Carl Mark Force IV, a former official from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Both agents were part of the investigations related to the now-defunct darknet marketplace. Although the report cannot be taken as a legal confirmation of Bridges’ relation with the BTC seized, Fortune pointed out that some clues in a DOJ statement shed some light about it: Individual X was able to hack into Silk Road and gain unauthorized and illegal access to Silk Road and thereby steal the illicit cryptocurrency. It’s worth noting that the disgraced U.S. Secret Service agent was convicted for usin

The cryptocurrency financial services firm Blockfi has launched a bitcoin-based trust that offers custody from Fidelity Digital Asset Services. Blockfi’s investment vehicle aims to give investors exposure to the leading crypto asset as bitcoin assets under management (AUM) was over $29 million on February 8, 2021. Blockfi Launches a Competitive Bitcoin Trust With a Sponsor Fee of 1.75% On Tuesday, the lender and financial services company Blockfi launched its bitcoin trust as it is managed by Blockfi Management LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Blockfi. The trust will charge a sponsor fee of 1.75% and the company leverages custodial services from Fidelity’s crypto arm. According to the announcement, the company will use Coin Metrics’ index services and pricing data. The company Grant Thornton LLP will be the Blockfi Bitcoin Trust’s financial auditor. Blockfi’s trust will compete with Grayscale ’s Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) and it offers an annual fee that is .25% lower than GBTC’s fe

A South Korean cryptocurrency exchange announced it established its first legally recognized branch in China. Although the nation banned all local crypto trading services, DBX said the firm already obtained a license to go ahead with the operations. Final Certificate of Incorporation Granted on February 5 According to Money Today , DBX received the operating license to establish the subsidiary in China as part of its overseas expansion plans. The crypto exchange is affiliated with the Korea Blockchain Coordination Association. Per the details given by the exchange, the Chinese government first green-lighted the opening of the branch on December 28, 2020, by issuing a temporary permission. However, the officials granted the final incorporation’s certification on February 5, 2021. A DBX official commented on the matter: The license to establish a corporation this time received from the Chinese government is a license that was obtained from the opposition to the establishment of fo

Following the revelation that Tesla now owns $1.5 billion in bitcoin, crypto spot markets across the board skyrocketed. Data shows that crypto derivatives markets also saw significant demand as bitcoin futures open interest tapped $15 billion on Monday. Moreover, this week was the start of ethereum futures on CME Group’s exchange, and ether-based futures registered $33 million worth on the first day of launch. Bitcoin Futures Open Interest Jumps to $15 Billion Bitcoin (BTC) derivatives markets are in high demand these days and other cryptocurrencies like ethereum (ETH) and bitcoin cash (BCH) derivative products are as well. Just recently, news.Bitcoin.com reported on Bit.com’s introduction of BCH options which saw volumes double every day since the launch. Then on February 8, 2021, it was discovered that Tesla had purchased $1.5 billion worth of BTC , and the crypto asset saw its largest daily candle to date. Moreover, the action also caused massive demand for BTC futures a

A state-affiliate cybersecurity expert warned about hackers exploiting the Russian government’s IT facilities to mine cryptocurrencies. The deputy director of the National Coordination Center for Computer Incidents believes such threat actors have been very active in recent times. Global Cybersecurity Landscape Remains ‘Tense’ According to TASS , Nikolai Murashov pointed out that hackers managed to inject unknown malware into the infrastructure of Russian government entities, medical institutions, defense contractors, and even research institutes. The cybercriminals then look for IT resources to use to illicitly mine cryptos. He added: For the first time, there have been cases of the introduction of malicious software that encrypts user data into the information infrastructure of medical institutions. However, the expert didn’t provide more details about the attacks during his speech at the XXIII National Information Security Forum “Infoforum-2021” in Moscow. Also, he didn’t cl

Mad Money host Jim Cramer has applauded Elon Musk and Tesla for their bitcoin investment. He said that Tesla, Paypal, and Mastercard are pushing bitcoin more into the mainstream. He believes that more companies should do more with their cash as Tesla did. Jim Cramer on Tesla, Paypal, and Bitcoin Jim Cramer shared his views Monday on bitcoin and Elon Musk’s Tesla investing $1.5 billion in the cryptocurrency on The Street. Cramer is the host of Mad Money on CNBC and a former hedge fund manager who co-founded the financial website Thestreet.com. He discussed Tesla stock which has been steadily climbing over recent months and news that the company has invested in bitcoin. According to the filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), published Monday, Tesla invested $1.5 billion in bitcoin in January. In addition, the company plans to accept BTC as a form of payment for its products. Cramer was asked if Tesla’s announcement pushes bitcoin more into the mainstream. “I

The price of bitcoin soared to new heights after Tesla informed the public that it added $1.5 billion to the company’s balance sheet. Bitcoin touched an all-time high (ATH) reaching $48,216 per unit and has retreated in value a hair since then. While crypto enthusiasts are bullish, a few supporters and analysts believe the crypto asset might be overbought, and bitcoin prices may see a drop as we cross over into the Chinese New Year. The Crypto Economy’s Trillion-Dollar Market Cap Continues to Swell Bitcoin (BTC) has seen significant gains during the last 24 hours as the cryptocurrency touched an ATH at $48,216 per coin. During the last hour, the crypto asset is exchanging hands for prices between $46,500 to $47,100 per unit with $39 billion in global trade volume. Out of the $1.32 trillion market cap amongst all 8,416 cryptocurrencies and 33,534 markets, BTC has a dominance rating of 62.9% today. BTC has gained 27% this week, 18% during the last month, 188% for the 90-day span