Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

PRESS RELEASE. Singapore, September 30, 2021. Less than three weeks after releasing its first dApp EverOwn for Binance Smart Chain, EverRise is proud to announce they will launch EverBridge to both the Ethereum and Polygon blockchains on October 5th. With EverBridge, EverRise will make its revolutionary suite of dApps available to projects on both networks starting with EverOwn for Ethereum on October 5th, followed by EverOwn for Polygon on October 8th. This will expand the reach of EverRise’s security solutions and enable the $RISE token to be traded and utilized across all three networks. “This is an exciting time for us to expand the EverRise Ecosystem and also introduce improvements to our project. This bridge allows us to take the dApps and blockchain solutions we have been building and make them more accessible to all developers on the Binance Smart Chain, Polygon, and Ethereum networks,” said Suresh Maddineni, EverRise CEO and Founder. Keeping with the standard of being...

According to a report published by the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) and a group of central banks, digital currencies can lead to faster settlement and cheaper transfers. Moreover, the banking group leveraged a prototype that shows how money transfers can be done in seconds with very little processing fees. Inexpensive Transfers & Speed: Bank of International Settlements Report Says Digital Currencies Can Be More Effective During the second week of September, the head of the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub, Benoît Cœuré, explained that central banks need to act quickly in order to develop central bank digital currencies. Cœuré stressed that a digital currency economy already exists and “CBDCs will take years to be rolled out.” Following Cœuré’s statements, BIS, alongside four central banks from the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, China, and Thailand, is embarking on a digital currency experiment. The banking group produced a prototype and publi...

Tesla CEO Elon Musk thinks governments should not try to regulate cryptocurrency. “I would say, do nothing,” he recommended. Musk believes that it is not possible to destroy crypto, but governments can “slow down its advancement.” Elon Musk Says Governments Should ‘Do Nothing’ and Leave Crypto Alone Tesla CEO Elon Musk discussed cryptocurrency and China on Tuesday at Code Conference in Beverly Hills, California. Responding to a question from New York Times columnist Kara Swisher about whether it is “the right thing” for governments to regulate and take control of cryptocurrency, and whether it is possible for them to do so, he said: It is not possible to, I think, destroy crypto but it is possible for governments to slow down its advancement. Musk was specifically asked what the U.S. government should do regarding cryptocurrency. The chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gary Gensler, was on stage at the conference earlier and he called cryptocurrency th...

The mayor of Miami, Florida, sees China’s cryptocurrency crackdown as “the turning point” that “creates an incredible opportunity for America.” He said: “Their loss is our gain and America can and will lead the future by providing a clean power home for bitcoin miners and all who are building on/with/for bitcoin.” Miami Mayor Sees US Benefiting From China’s Crypto Crackdown Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who has been trying to build his city into a bitcoin hub , sees the crypto crackdown by the Chinese government as an opportunity for his city and the U.S. He told Bloomberg: The turning point is now. It creates an incredible opportunity for America. Suarez commented on China’s crackdown this week: “China banning bitcoin is a massive mistake with impacts that will be felt for generations. Their loss is our gain and America can and will lead the future by providing a clean power home for bitcoin miners and all who are building on/with/for bitcoin.” The mayor of Miami is not the onl...

On Tuesday, Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele shared a video of a bitcoin mine operating adjacent to a volcano. Bukele discussed the volcano-powered bitcoin mining on June 9 when he talked about the “95MW of 100% clean, 0 emissions geothermal energy from our volcanos.” El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele Shares a Video of the ‘First Steps’ Behind the Volcano-Powered Bitcoin Mine Construction The president of El Salvador shared a video via the social media platform Twitter that said “First steps,” as the film shows ASIC bitcoin mining rigs being installed at a geothermal energy plant. The video shows containers that are emblazoned with the Salvadoran government logos and a large quantity of ASIC mining devices. The video has been viewed around 2 million times on Twitter, and Bukele’s video tweet has over 50K likes and over 12,000 retweets. First steps… 🌋 #Bitcoin 🇸🇻 pic.twitter.com/duhHvmEnym — Nayib Bukele 🇸🇻 (@nayibbukele) September 28, 2021 While many bitcoin proponents said ...

In search of ways to heal its travel industry, hurt by the pandemic, Thailand is now recognizing an opportunity to tap into a growing market of cryptocurrency holders. Fostering a “cryptourism atmosphere” is what the country’s tourism agency intends to do, including by minting a new token and facilitating bitcoin card payments. Tourism Board of Thailand Plans to Employ New Coin to Spur Demand From Crypto Market Pondering how to capitalize on the expanding global crypto user base, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has pitched the idea of issuing its own utility token dubbed TAT Coin. The Bangkok Post revealed on Wednesday that the body wants to examine relevant regulations and the viability of such a project before embarking on the initiative. The state-run agency is now holding talks with the Stock Exchange of Thailand on the possible introduction of the token, the report details, quoting TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn. TAT Coin would allow the transfer of travel vouchers in...

PRESS RELEASE. Zug, Switzerland: SwissOne Capital AG, a specialized digital asset manager with a focus on blockchain investment funds, has partnered with ISP Securities AG for the launch of their Smart Index Crypto Fund Tracker Certificate. This fund tracker certificate is the first of its kind to capitalize on 50 of the best-performing cryptocurrencies, offering unprecedented market exposure compared to individual currencies, exchanges, DeFi, and other platforms. SwissOne Capital’s deep experience in the crypto space combined with their premiere concierge service can give professional, qualified investors in their jurisdictions the edge they need to increase their portfolio’s performance (via this completely uncorrelated asset class). “Our first flagship financial product received a lot of attention and enthusiasm from the market when we launched in 2019. This new Tracker Certificate provides professional investors the opportunity to invest as little as €1,000, making this a far mo...

Americans are not only worried about future inflation, but they are also dealing with dwindling purchasing power in real-time. Meanwhile, on Thursday, Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell plans to address the Senate Banking Committee and discuss inflation. In the remarks pre-published from Powell’s speech, the Fed chair noted that the recent inflation spike may last longer than the central bank anticipated. Fed Chair Jerome Powell: ‘Inflation Effects Have Been Larger and Longer-Lasting Than Anticipated’ If you were to read reports published by news outlets like CNN or Axios, it’s likely the reporter would say something like “maybe we can ignore inflation expectations.” While CNN admits inflation is here, reporters like Dana Peterson blame things like the Covid Delta variant, chip shortages, labor costs, and the cost to rent. Similar to the opinions of politicians and Fed board members, CNN’s Peterson concludes that “inflationary pressure probably will be with us for a while long...

Switzerland’s Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) has approved the first Swiss crypto fund. It is managed by asset manager Crypto Finance and custodied by Seba Bank. “For the first time, FINMA has approved a Swiss fund that invests primarily in cryptoassets,” said the regulator. First Crypto Fund Approved Under Swiss Laws The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) announced Wednesday that it “has approved the first crypto fund according to Swiss law.” The regulator elaborated: For the first time, FINMA has approved a Swiss fund that invests primarily in cryptoassets. FINMA explained that the fund is called “Crypto Market Index Fund,” noting that it is “an investment fund according to Swiss law belonging to the category ‘other funds for alternative investments’ with particular risks.” The financial regulator added that there are some requirements tied to the approval. For example, the fund “may only invest in established cryptoassets with a sufficiently ...

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has charged Payward Ventures, the operator of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, “for illegally offering margined retail commodity transactions in digital assets, including bitcoin, and failing to register.” CFTC Charges Kraken, Imposes $1.25 Million Penalty The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced Tuesday that it has imposed a $1.25 million penalty on cryptocurrency exchange Kraken. The derivatives regulator issued an order filing and settling charges against Payward Ventures Inc., dba Kraken, “for illegally offering margined retail commodity transactions in digital assets, including bitcoin, and failing to register as a futures commission merchant (FCM).” According to the CFTC: The order requires Kraken to pay a $1.25 million civil monetary penalty and to cease and desist from further violations of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA), as charged. “From approximately June 2020 to July 2021, Kraken offered margined reta...

Today, we are thrilled to introduce Ripple’s Creator Fund.  Announced as part of Apex, the XRP Ledger (XRPL) Developer Summit, this fund fosters innovation in tokenization, with a focus on non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The fund will provide targeted support for creators, brands and marketplaces to explore new use cases for NFTs on the XRPL leveraging … Continued The post Calling All Creators: Ripple Launches $250M Creator Fund appeared first on Ripple. http://dlvr.it/S8Zqt7

Who controls your data is a vital and growing concern these days. People are now fully aware of how the giant tech monopolies are extracting value out of users’ private information while they get nothing in return. Regulators, companies and users have all began to challenge the way this happens by limiting the invasion of privacy wherever possible. However, the potential of transferring value to users still remains allusive. Swash changes the paradigm by putting data monetization in the hands of the users themselves. Creating a New Age of User Data Monetization Swash is an ecosystem of tools and services that enable people to unlock the value of data by pooling, securely sharing, and earning while retaining privacy. The core idea behind Swash is that of “Data Unions” – organized structures that optimize individual agency as a collective force by rewarding union members for the value of their data. Inspired by their vision to make easy data monetization possible, the Swash team buil...

National Bank of Ukraine is hiring a blockchain expert who will likely support its digital currency project. The vacancy has been announced as the financial institution prepares to pilot e-hryvnia salary payments for government workers as early as this year. NBU Posts Blockchain Developer Ad on Linkedin The central bank of Ukraine is looking to employ a blockchain developer with promises of career growth opportunities and a private sector salary. A job posting describing the role’s responsibilities and the benefits candidates may expect has been recently published on Linkedin by the bank’s IT director, Vladimir Nagornyuk. The blockchain specialist is expected to participate in the “development, implementation and refinement of infrastructure services, highly accessible distributed systems and services (Hyperledger),” the ad details. The future hire will focus on the design and development of microservices and integration solutions, development of smart contracts, registers, and a...

According to reports from Nigeria, the official website for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s e-naira digital currency is now up and running. The reports come just a few days before the start of the central bank digital currency (CBDC) rollout. E-Naira Similar to Physical Currency An analysis by regional news outlet This Day suggests that the website had recorded more than a million hits barely 24 hours after it went live. Such a reaction, according to the publication, points “to the level of interest in the proposed digital currency.” As explained on the website , the CBN’s e-naira is expected to serve as both a medium of exchange and a store of value. The digital currency will also “offer better payment prospects in retail transactions when compared to cash payments.” There are claims that the e-naira will accelerate financial inclusion, enhancing both local and international trade. On the other hand, the website reiterates the CBN’s claim that the e-naira will be similar to ...

Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant, has announced it will no longer allow the sale of cryptocurrency mining gear on its platform. The sales behemoth made this announcement yesterday via its official website. The move is a direct consequence of the latest ban the Chinese government has applied to cryptocurrency trading and mining. Other institutions and exchanges have also been affected. Alibaba Bans ASIC Miner Sales Alibaba, one of the biggest sales companies in China, has announced it intends to ban the sale of cryptocurrency miners and cryptocurrencies themselves on its platform. The company explained this is a consequence of several circulars and decisions taken by the People’s Bank of China, stating: Alibaba.com will prohibit the sale of virtual currency miners in addition to the prohibition against selling virtual currencies such as Bitcoin, Litecoin, BeaoCoin, QuarkCoin, and Ethereum. The company will terminate two of its product categories to apply this ban — Blockcha...

Emurgo, the financial arm of leading cryptocurrency project Cardano, has announced it will invest $100 million in the development of decentralized finance-based products for the ecosystem. The company will spin two subsidiaries for this task, with one being fully dedicated to incentivizing the creation of Africa-based startups that use the Cardano blockchain in the development of their products. Cardano to Push Ecosystem With $100 Million Emurgo, the financial arm of Cardano, is planning to kickstart the development of Cardano-related products by directing $100 million to two new investment vehicles. The subsidiaries will have different focuses, but will both contribute to widening the Cardano ecosystem. The first one, called Emurgo Ventures, will have the task of providing seed funding to interesting companies that involve Cardano in the development of their products. These products could include NFT platforms and decentralized finance (defi) platforms to take advantage of the ne...

Yellow Card, an Africa-focused crypto exchange platform, recently announced a capital raise of $15 million from its Series A funding round. The capital raise, which is Yellow Card’s largest, was led by Valar Ventures, Third Prime, and Castle Island Ventures. Square, Coinbase Ventures, and Blockchain.com Ventures also participated in the round. Making Cryptocurrencies Accessible According to the exchange platform’s blog post , part of the funds raised will be used to “ramp up hiring and continue its expansion across the continent.” On the other hand, Chris Maurice, founder and CEO of Yellow Card, said he expects the latest capital raise to help the fintech realize its goal of making cryptocurrencies accessible to everyone. Maurice said: Our mission has always been to make cryptocurrency accessible anywhere and everywhere across the African continent. Now, we have the backing to make that a reality, alongside an amazing team of investors who share our vision. Prior to raising the ...

PRESS RELEASE. Torum is set to launch a pioneering social metaverse and socially integrated Avatar NFTs through a unique SocialFi platform. 29th September 2021, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — Torum SocialFi platform has announced that it will be launching a ‘Social Metaverse’ and the world’s first-ever social-integrated Avatar NFT, following a strategic investment from Huobi Ventures back in August 2021. Torum SocialFi Platform The conceptualization and creation of metaverses has been on the rise since the explosion of the NFT market, and Torum is leading the social side of this emerging industry with its Huobi-backed SocialFi platform and ecosystem. The Malaysian-based SocialFi platform has decided to take the lead and build a Social Metaverse within the crypto and blockchain industry. This evolution will kick off from the launch of the world’s first-ever social-integrated Avatar NFT. Meet your Metaverse Identity Powered by Binance Smart Chain , Torum is releasing 21 sets o...

On September 28, reports stemming from social media and crypto-focused forums detailed that China has been blocking a number of cryptocurrency websites. The Twitter handle for 8btc News tweeted that the web portals coinmarketcap.com and coingecko.com have been blocked from mainland China. The ‘Great Firewall,’ as it is often called, has also blocked a number of other sites like tradingview.com as well. Specific Crypto Web Portals Are Currently Inaccessible in China One thing the world knows is that China likes to censor the internet and via the combination of legislative actions and technologies enforced by Beijing, the Great Firewall (GFW) exists in full force today. Through the forces deployed by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), alongside the help of SIIO and the Golden Shield Project, many international web domains are inaccessible to Chinese residents. Mainland Chinese internet users cannot access websites like Wikipedia, Twitter, Facebook, Google, and a large quan...

Two U.S. senators have introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at improving the oversight of cryptocurrency. The bill requires the Treasury Secretary to submit a report to Congress on cryptocurrencies and their competitiveness globally, including how other countries are using and mining them as well as their impacts on supply chains. New Bill Introduced to Improve Oversight of Cryptocurrencies and Their Uses Globally Senator Maggie Hassan, a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Senator Joni Ernst introduced legislation on cryptocurrency Monday. The bill states that its purpose is “To require the Secretary of the Treasury to submit to Congress a report on virtual currencies and global competitiveness.” The senators described that this bipartisan bill aims “to improve oversight of cryptocurrency,” including “mining operations in foreign countries.” Senator Hassan explained: The bill would require the Treasury Department to report to Congress o...

The chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gary Gensler, says that cryptocurrency “is not going to end well if it stays outside the regulatory space.” The SEC has been criticized for taking an enforcement-centric approach to regulating the crypto industry. SEC Chair Says Crypto Will Not End Well Staying Outside Regulations SEC Chairman Gary Gensler talked about cryptocurrency regulation Monday during an interview with former federal prosecutor Preet Bharara at Code Conference in Beverly Hills, California. He explained that the crypto sector in the U.S. has many “trading venues and lending venues” with “not just dozens but hundreds and sometimes thousands of tokens on them.” Noting that “people will be hurt” if cryptocurrency markets are allowed to operate outside the purview of regulators, the SEC chairman warned: This is not going to end well if it stays outside the regulatory space. “To think that a field that’s grown 10-fold in the last 18 months — no...

Verifone, a global payment system provider with 35 million devices in 150 countries, is rolling out crypto payment support in the U.S. in partnership with Bitpay. Verifone’s platform processes more than $440 billion annually. The company says, “the appetite for crypto payments has exploded this year.” Major Retailers Will Soon Be Able to Accept Cryptocurrency Payments via Verifone Major payment solution provider Verifone announced Tuesday its partnership with Bitpay “to enable consumer cryptocurrency payments on Verifone’s in-store and Ecommerce Cloud Services platforms in the United States.” Verifone provides “end-to-end payment and commerce solutions to the world’s best-known retail brands, major financial institutions, and directly to more than 600,000 merchants alike,” its website describes. The company’s global platform handles more than 10.4 billion online and in-store transactions annually, totaling more than $440 billion. About 35 million Verifone devices are in operation i...

While celebrities and athletes have been jumping into the non-fungible token (NFT) scene headfirst, a large quantity of music acts have also entered the NFT industry. On Tuesday, a lineup of world-famous DJs are being represented in a newly launched NFT collection called Djenerates. The NFT collection is supported by prominent DJs like Carl Cox, Paul Oakenfold, Paul Val Dyk, Benny Benassi, Sven Väth, and Blond:ish. Prominent DJs Featured in NFT Collection In 2021, non-fungible token (NFT) assets have become a billion-dollar industry and it seems everyone is trying to get in on the action. Bitcoin.com News has reported on the swarm of celebrities flocking to NFTs quite a bit this year. Popular hip-hop superstars like Snoop Dogg , Lil Pump, Eminem , Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, and Ja Rule have also been participating in the blockchain and crypto revolution. Now a slew of popular DJs are being featured in a collection of NFTs called the Djenerates. The collection launched on September...

On Tuesday, the crypto firm FTX Trading Ltd, announced that the Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones has joined the company as an FTX Ambassador in a long-term partnership. The collaboration with the NFL player follows the firm’s partnership with seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady and his wife Gisele Bündchen. FTX Inks Long-Term Partnership With NFL Running Back Aaron Jones Crypto asset company FTX continues to make deals in the world of professional sports as just last week, FTX partnered with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team. FTX has also partnered with Super Bowl champion Tom Brady , the Brazilian model Gisele Bündchen , and became the MLB’s official crypto exchange brand in a long-term deal. FTX also purchased the U.S. professional esports giant TSM for $210 million and it won the naming rights to the Miami Heat arena. Following the deal with Mercedes F1, FTX announced that Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones is now a company ambassador. Accordin...

Singapore-based cryptocurrency derivatives exchange Bitget announced a partnership with Juventus to become its sponsor. According to the agreement, Bitget will act as Juventus official partner and official cryptocurrency exchange partner, and also its first-ever sleeve partner. Established in 1897, Juventus is one of most time-honored and award-winning football clubs worldwide. It was the first club in the history of football to win all the major international trophies with 38 Serie A titles, 2 Champions League titles, and 3 UEFA Cups. Juventus is one of the top ten football clubs in the world, with elite players such as Chiellini, Morata, Dybala and Bonucci. In addition, legendary players like Nedved, Buffon, Zidane, Del Piero, Montero, Baggio and Cristiano Ronaldo have all played for the club, making it one of the most important and successful clubs in Europe and the world. “Bitget has been looking for outstanding partners from the sports world and game community. Juventus has be...