Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

Microstrategy has purchased an additional $1.026 billion worth of bitcoin, raising the total number of bitcoins it has accumulated to about 90,531. Its CEO explained that his company remains focused on its two corporate strategies of growing its enterprise analytics software business and “acquiring and holding bitcoin.” More Than $2 Billion Worth of Bitcoin Now in Microstrategy’s Treasury Reserves Microstrategy Inc. announced Wednesday that “it had purchased an additional approximately 19,452 bitcoins for approximately $1.026 billion in cash at an average price of approximately $52,765 per bitcoin, inclusive of fees and expenses.” The announcement continues: As of February 24, 2021, the company holds an aggregate of approximately 90,531 bitcoins, which were acquired at an aggregate purchase price of approximately $2.171 billion and an average purchase price of approximately $23,985 per bitcoin, inclusive of fees and expenses. The company used the proceeds from its $1.05 billion

PRESS RELEASE. February 24, 2021 – xSigma, a decentralized exchange for stablecoin swaps, has announced details of its launch program. The DEX, which supports liquid swaps between stablecoin pairs, will go live on February 24, having passed a third-party security audit. Blockchain security company Hacken audited the xSigma smart contracts and found no critical errors in the code, green-lighting the Ethereum-based exchange to launch as scheduled. A second security audit is underway to give the xSigma community additional confidence in the code powering the AMM. Backed by a NASDAQ-listed company, and developed by an experienced team that includes former Google engineers, xSigma has secured the support of several high profile backers. These include NBA star Dwight Howard, who has committed to participating in the xSigma launch as an early liquidity provider (LP). LPs will earn double rewards for the first fortnight to incentivize adoption and ensure a liquid environment for executing

Indian billionaire Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, sometimes referred to as the Warren Buffett of India, says that the government should ban bitcoin. Calling the cryptocurrency “speculation of the highest order,” the billionaire investor stated that he will never buy bitcoin. Billionaire Rakesh Jhunjhunwala Thinks Indian Government Should Ban Bitcoin Rakesh Jhunjhunwala believes that the Indian government should step in and ban bitcoin, CNBC reported Tuesday. Jhunjhunwala, who currently manages his own investment portfolio as a partner at asset management firm Rare Enterprises, is sometimes known as the “Warren Buffett of India” and the “King of Bull Market.” Jhunjhunwala was quoted as saying: I think regulators should step in and ban bitcoin. And they should focus on the digital rupee. The Indian government is planning to introduce a cryptocurrency bill in the current parliament session. The bill provides a regulatory framework for the digital rupee to be issued by the central bank, the

While the public prepares for the upcoming Coinbase public offering, the mining firm Northern Data AG is reportedly planning to go public as well. Sources say that the mining business is in talks with Credit Suisse Group to launch an initial public offering (IPO) in the United States. Report: Sources Say Northern Data AG IPO for $500 Million Is in the Works Recent reports say that Northern Data AG, the mining operation that mines bitcoin ( BTC ), is planning to IPO in the near future. Bloomberg reveals that “sources familiar with the matter” have told the publication that Northern Data AG is “working with Credit Suisse Group AG.” Northern Data claims to be one of the largest mining operations worldwide and on November 18, 2019, the German company teamed up with Whinstone US, Inc., a Louisiana-based firm. At that time, Northern Data detailed that the merger agreement with its U.S. competitor Whinstone would position the firm as a “leading global player” in the bitcoin mining indu

Bitfinex and Tether have been banned from operating in New York and must pay a fine of $18.5 million as part of a settlement with the New York Attorney General’s (NYAG’s) office over a case dating back to 2019 . In a statement on Tuesday, NY Attorney General Letitia James accused the two entities of hiding severe losses from investors. “Bitfinex and Tether recklessly and unlawfully covered-up massive financial losses to keep their scheme going and protect their bottom lines,” said James. She continued: “Tether’s claims that its virtual currency was fully backed by U.S. dollars at all times was a lie. These companies obscured the true risk investors faced and were operated by unlicensed and unregulated individuals and entities dealing in the darkest corners of the financial system.” Per the statement, an NY Attorney General’s investigation found that the companies made false statements about the backing of tether, with Bitfinex using Tether’s funds to clandestinely cover an $850 mi

A decentralized finance (defi) protocol announced that it officially acquired an initial coin offering (ICO) listing platform. Jigstack, who bought icorating.com, will migrate all the platform’s assets to its Lemonade’s solution. Jigstack’ Direct Email Database on Icorating.com According to the announcement , the defi protocol, which acts as a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), bought the website to boost its multi-chain token launch solution Lemonade. Robert Weir, Jigstack’s COO, told news.Bitcoin.com that icorating.com acquisition is a “commercial trifecta for Lemonade” as they own “commercially relevant data, a database of over 30,000 active crypto investors.” In fact, they seek to boost exposure for projects launching through Lemonade. In Lemonade, anyone can create a token sale in a matter of minutes, including adjusting the token lock sequences, vesting periods, and overall token distribution logistics, added Weir. For projects launching on Lemonade, Jigstack COO

The popular trading card company Topps has just launched the “2021 Garbage Pail Kids Food Fight” series today, and the trading card packs are being sold at Target and Walmart stores. Not only will the Garbage Pail Kids (GPK) series provide people with collectible cardboard trading cards, Topps has also inserted blockchain-based rare code cards, which can be redeemed for exclusive GPK non-fungible token (NFT) collectibles on the Wax blockchain. Blockchain and GPK Since the eighties, the Garbage Pail Kids (GPK) has been a popular trading card series created by the company Topps . The firm Topps was founded in 1938 and has created collectible cards for a myriad of sports and hobbies for decades. Topps also owns Bazooka bubblegum, Ring Pop, Push Pop, and Baby Bottle Pop candies. The Garbage Pail Kids launched in 1985 and were distributed by the trading card company Topps. GPK artwork was originally designed by the artists’ John Pound, Tom Bunk, Joe Simko, and Layron DeJarnette. In 202

PRESS RELEASE. Hong Kong, February 23, 2021 – CoinEx, a global and professional cryptocurrency exchange service provider, announced on last Saturday that it has finished a historic burn of 1.08 billion locked CoinEx Token (CET) allocated to the CoinEx team for team building and market development at one time. This CET token burn is the highest one ever carried out by the exchange. After this burn, the total circulation is 4.34 billion CET, with a market capitalization of approximately 113 million USD. At present, the amount of CET automatically repurchased by CoinEx each day far exceeds the mining output of CoinEx Chain. CET token has officially entered absolute deflation，and became a fully circulating platform token. Through this initiative, CoinEx provides CET holders with greater long-term value. CoinEx Pioneers Daily Repurchase Mechanism CET’s original quarterly repurchase and burn initiative was launched on July 1, 2018, and was adjusted to daily repurchase and quarterly burn

A pro-bitcoin head of digital assets from TD Ameritrade has been appointed as the Federal Reserve System’s chief innovation officer. This is “a new role in which she will lead efforts to identify, research, enable and advocate for new technologies,” the Fed explained. The Fed’s New Chief Innovation Officer Is Pro-Bitcoin The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond serves as the hub of the Federal Reserve’s enterprise IT organization. This nationwide team delivers technology solutions and support across the Federal Reserve System and the Board of Governors. The Richmond Fed announced Monday: Sunayna Tuteja has been appointed as the Federal Reserve System’s chief innovation officer. The announcement explains that this is a new role and Tuteja “will lead efforts to identify, research, enable and advocate for new technologies while fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration and experimentation.” The appointment became effective on Feb. 22. Prior to joining the Fed, Tuteja worked at

More details keep appearing from the police investigation into the 2018 Coincheck hack that stole $530 million from the crypto exchange. Japanese authorities revealed that most of the individuals involved have a “high social status.” One of the Individuals Took Part in a NEM Swap Deal Is Worth $64 Million According to a report published by Bunshun, “the majority” of the men involved in the case are “high income” individuals. In fact, they come from different professional backgrounds, such as being company managers and doctors. Prosecutors said the individuals are aged between 20 and 49, without giving major details on their profiles. However, the latest findings suggest that one of the heist people took part in a bogus transaction with NEM ( XEM ) tokens. Per the Cybercrime Countermeasures Division, the individual allegedly took part in a NEM swap with another token (unnamed) in a transaction worth $64 million at the exchange time. But the investigation is still having significa

Digital asset markets are seeing some turbulence on Tuesday as the entire crypto market capitalization has lost 11% in value during the last 24 hours. Bitcoin has slid to a low of $44,846 during the morning trading sessions (EST) losing more than 18% during the last day. Bitcoin Price Dips Over 18% and Quickly Regains Some of the Losses Cryptocurrency proponents are watching markets closely after the price of bitcoin ( BTC ) started sliding early Sunday morning after coasting along at the $55k range. 12 hours prior the crypto asset had reached an all-time high at $58,354 per unit. Since then BTC touched a low of $44,846 on Tuesday and has been very volatile during the last 24 hours. Bitcoin ( BTC ) is currently swapping between $48,400 to $49,250 and is very volatile on Tuesday morning. Today, BTC ’s market valuation is under the $1 trillion mark it once held at $909 billion at the time of publication. There’s a whopping $47 billion in global BTC trades among the overall $177

Moneygram has announced that it has suspended using Ripple’s platform due to the lawsuit against Ripple Labs and its executives by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Last year, the company earned $50.2 million from Ripple for using the platform. Moneygram Stops Using Ripple’s Platform Moneygram International announced Monday that it has suspended trading on Ripple’s platform. The announcement came as part of the company’s earnings report for the fourth quarter and full year 2020. For the year 2020, Moneygram recorded total revenue of $1,217 million; its money transfer revenue was $1,105 million. As part of its first quarter 2021 outlook detailed in the report, Moneygram wrote that it “is not planning for any benefit from Ripple market development fees in the first quarter,” adding: Due to the uncertainty concerning their ongoing litigation with the SEC, the company has suspended trading on Ripple’s platform. How Much Ripple Is Paying Moneygram Moneygram has had

PRESS RELEASE. February 23, 2021 – OpenSea, the largest marketplace for blockchain-enabled non-fungible tokens (NFTs), is in the process of building support for Flow, a blockchain built for mainstream consumer scale originally created by Dapper Labs, the company behind CryptoKitties and NBA Top Shot , which has recently reached over $150 million in sales volume, becoming the highest-selling NFT dapp across the entire crypto ecosystem. The integration will allow for the creation of a massive open economy powering the next generation of apps and games, fueled by OpenSea’s position as industry leader and Flow’s unique ability to bring blockchain technology to mainstream audiences. Flow brings remarkable opportunities to further the growth of the marketplace’s digital economy around NFTs and digital collectibles. With a rich ecosystem including global brands such as NBA, Warner Music Group, and UFC, the potential for mainstream adoption of Flow is represented in the enormous success

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned about the dangers of bitcoin as the price of the cryptocurrency took a nosedive. She sees bitcoin as a highly speculative asset and is worried about potential losses investors can suffer. Yellen also believes that bitcoin is not widely used as a transaction mechanism due to its inefficiency, reiterating her view that the cryptocurrency is often used for “illicit finance.” Janet Yellen’s Warning About Bitcoin Janet Yellen has blasted bitcoin again Monday in an interview with CNBC at the New York Times Dealbook conference. The treasury secretary “issued a warning about the dangers that bitcoin poses both to investors and the public,” the news outlet conveyed. Regarding bitcoin, Yellen was quoted as saying: It is a highly speculative asset and you know I think people should be aware it can be extremely volatile and I do worry about potential losses that investors can suffer. The price of bitcoin started falling sharply Sunday afterno

Thailand seems to be interested in catching Japanese crypto holders’ attention via tourism. The country wants to establish a crypto-friendly touristic hotspot and the first targeted country is the nation of the rising sun. Program Aims to Add New Segments With ‘High Spending’ Per Bangkok Post , the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) seeks to put the nation as the first to welcome crypto holders by targeting Japanese tourists in the early stage. The maneuver is given in the context of the pandemic that hit hard Thai’s tourism. The program looks forward to emphasizing segments with “high spending.” After holding discussions with the Technology Promotion Association (Thailand-Japan), the TAT determined that such target should be Japanese crypto-asset holders. They backed their statements by relying on the performance in crypto prices over the last few years. As such, the bull-run is also encouraging the TAT to study the possibility to implement digital currency at tourism hotspots

A speechwriter for former U.S. President George W. Bush and a bitcoin critic, David Frum has claimed that the low-interest rates are fueling the crypto asset’s rally. Frum suggests that the crypto asset might experience a “fast and deep price crash” if and when interest rates start to rise. Institutional Interest in BTC In comments made via Twitter, Frum, who regurgitates the BTC mining inefficiency claims, also attacks the crypto asset’s store of the value proposition. He states that of “all the pro-bitcoin arguments, surely the worst is the store against inflation.” Still, despite this criticism, the crypto asset continues to gain support from institutional investors and large companies. For instance, electric carmaker Tesla, which recently amended its investment policy, revealed it had bought BTC worth $1.5 billion. Furthermore, according to bitcointreasuries.org , the website that tracks companies or institutions that have exposure to BTC , over 1.3 million coins or 6% of

PRESS RELEASE. While Bitcoin and the greatest part of altcoins are going down, Pteria DAO’s token PTERIA could not be outdone and is currently on Mars, exceeding $40. The moon is now too close, so Mars is the real new all time high to reach. However, the token, listed for the first time on decentralized exchanges such as Uniswap and Balancer just a few months ago, today marks its all time high and is now worth over $40, as you can see on Coinmarketcap or Coingecko . Recently Pteria announced its interesting staking project that offers up to 24% annual reward for those who block its PTERIA tokens and vote for the DAO’s proposals. Currently, in less than a month, over 2 million tokens have been staked on the platform called Aragon . Pteria and Wallem All of this is happening at a time when due to Covid-19 and related worldwide lockdowns and curfews, the Wallem project, the first game to use the PTERIA token, is on a hiatus. Like Pokémon Go, Wallem allows you to capture