Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

Another batch of Russian online crypto exchanges in Russia face closure following a recent decision by a regional court. Information published on their websites has been deemed illegal meaning the country’s telecom watchdog can block access to their platforms. Roskomnadzor May Take Down Blacklisted Crypto Exchanges A number of websites providing options to exchange, cash out, and transfer cryptocurrency using various payment methods may be blocked by Russia’s telecom regulator, Roskomnadzor, if their operators don’t delete the illegal web pages. The threat for the online crypto platforms stems from a court ruling recognizing their content as prohibited. In early September, the Kushnarenkovsky District Court in Bashkortostan, a republic of the Russian Federation, confirmed that the information they are disseminating is banned under current law, Forklog reported. The register of banned Russian websites, maintained by the non-government organization Roskomsvoboda, lists 17 sites aff...

A Cameroonian fintech start-up, Ejara, has raised $2 million to pioneer the usage of crypto and investment services in French-speaking African countries. Coinshares Ventures and Anthemis Group led the funding round in which they were joined by Mercy Corps Ventures, Lateral Capital, Lofty Inc Capital, and Netx Fund. Using Crypto to Protect Savings in Francophone Africa According to a report, the start-up, which was founded by Cameroonian Nelly Chatue-Diop, wants to “level this playing field for the average French-speaking African so they can invest as little as $9 (CFA5,000).” In addition, Chatue-Diop hopes that through this start-up, the non-elites from this region can also save and avoid going through the painful experience of losing everything as her family did. “I was really young and we were part of the middle class. Overnight all our savings dwindled and the aftermath was that the government couldn’t even pay salaries. So even at that tender age, I asked myself how we managed ...

In preparation to regulate its fintech space, the government of Sri Lanka has established a special committee tasked to formulate the country’s policy on digital banking and crypto-related activities. The committee comprises professionals from the public and private sectors. New Committee to Propose Rules for Blockchain Industry in Sri Lanka Sri Lankan authorities have unveiled the composition of а newly established committee of experts gathered to formulate the nation’s policy in three key areas related to cryptocurrencies, the local Daily Mirror reported on Saturday. The members are expected to present regulations for entities operating in the digital banking, blockchain, and cryptocurrency mining industries. According to an announcement by the Government Information Department, the professionals involved in the project are Viraj Dayaratne, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka, Rajeeva Bandaranaike, CEO of the Colombo Stock Exchange, and Dharmasri Kumar...

On October 9, whistleblower and privacy advocate Edward Snowden published an opinion editorial concerning central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and claimed CBDCs are “the newest danger cresting the public horizon.” Snowden stressed that rather than being an innovation, CBDC’s are “closer to being a perversion of cryptocurrency” and a “cryptofascist currency.” Snowden Stresses CBDCs ‘Are Expressly Designed to Deny Its Users the Basic Ownership of Their Money’ While politicians and the modern banking cartel have been all about central bank digital currencies, a great number of critics believe they are no different than centralized databases. On Saturday, the former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and National Security Agency (NSA) subcontractor, Edward Snowden , published an article describing what he thinks CBDCs will bring to society. Snowden is a fan of decentralized crypto assets like bitcoin, ethereum, and zcash. However, when it comes to CBDCs the whistleblower is concerned ...

U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis has disclosed her bitcoin purchase worth between $50K and $100K. The senator from Wyoming sees bitcoin as an “excellent store of value” that should be in every investment portfolio. Senator Lummis Buys Bitcoin The pro-bitcoin senator from Wyoming, Cynthia Lummis, disclosed her recent bitcoin purchase in a periodic transaction report (PTR) Thursday. According to the filing, the senator bought BTC worth between $50,001 and $100,000 on Aug. 16. The price of bitcoin was around $45K at that time. The disclosure was made outside of the 45-day reporting deadline set by the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act. The Act requires members of Congress to disclose every purchase and sale of individual stocks, bonds, and commodity futures valued over $1,000 within 45 days of the transaction. A spokesperson at Senator Lummis’ office told CNBC that the disclosure delay was due to “a filing error,” stating: Once we realized it we worked with the Ethic...

Non-fungible token (NFT) assets have been extremely popular in 2021 and it doesn’t seem like the NFT hype is going away any time soon. A number of NFT collections have propelled the industry to new heights with enormous sales, outpacing some of the most popular auctions selling physical items. One specific NFT project called Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) has seen $542 million in lifetime sales between 8,749 traders. Moreover, on Friday, the official BAYC Twitter account announced the project plans to launch a token in the first quarter of next year. Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT Collection Captures $542 Million in Lifetime Sales There’s definitely been a few artists that have made millions of dollars selling single NFTs to buyers willing to pay for the cryptographic-backed collectibles. For instance, Beeple is well known for his NFT work, and one of his pieces sold for $69 million at Christie’s. Then there are the NFT collections that have also fueled the NFT craze like Cryptopunks, Art B...

PRESS RELEASE. Blockchain company DRepublic has announced the launch of their innovative combinable NFT platform MetaCore, and NFT product Legoot, using the new EIP-3664 Modularity. Blockchain MMORPG game “Cradles: Origin Of Species” creators DRepublic have now developed the first-ever combinable NFT platform MetaCore, using the new EIP-3664 Modularity. With this groundbreaking new technology, DRepublic has also developed the first combinable NFT product: Legoot, and simultaneously opened up a whole new world of possibilities within both the NFT space and the wider blockchain industry. What is EIP-3664? EIP-3664 is the next infrastructure layer for NFTs and on-chain development, bringing notable functionality improvements on the previous 1155 (multi-token) & 721 (non-fungible token) standards. The most relevant advancement EIP-3664 offers is its disaggregation and assemblage characteristics which enable the arbitrary combination of all NFTs. The most important features of EIP...

The government in Abkhazia has extended an order prohibiting access to internet sites used by cryptocurrency miners. The measure is part of a wider ban on activities related to the extraction of digital coins that also limits the use of electricity and imports of mining equipment in the breakaway Georgian republic. Authorities in Abkhazia Confirm Ban on Websites Needed by Local Miners Abkhazia’s telecom and media watchdog has extended internet restrictions affecting crypto mining operations in the country. According to an order issued by the State Committee for Communications, Mass Media and Digital Development, access to certain websites used by miners remains prohibited until March 31, 2022. The initial ban adopted in late December expired on June 1 this year. As per the document issued on Oct. 6, internet providers are required to implement the technical measures needed to block the websites that allow miners to conduct their coin minting activities, Forklog reported quoting the...

CEO of trading firm Genesis, Michael Moro, stated that according to his views the decentralized finance (defi) space is still too risky for institutions to step in. Moro explained that there have been some important mistakes made by high-profile defi protocols that are putting customers’ funds at risk. This is why the space is being still dominated by retail investors, that have more lax risk management policies. Defi Errors Scare Away Institutions Michael Moro, CEO of Genesis , one of the biggest cryptocurrency trading firms in the space, stated his opinion about why defi has failed to entice institutions to invest in these protocols. According to his view, the space is still too risky and this is evidenced by some recent mistakes high-profile entities have made. In an interview with Insider , Moro stated: Errors and mistakes that you’ve seen certainly make institutions shy from doing anything in size, in any particular platform. Hedge funds and proprietary trading firms would ...

Former teen soap star from the popular television series “The O.C.,” Ben McKenzie, has called out his fellow celebrities for shilling specific cryptocurrency projects. McKenzie calls the trend a “moral disaster” and he’s named a bunch of celebrities that have shilled a few crypto projects to their loyal fans. ‘The O.C.’ Star Ben McKenzie Writes a Scathing Review About His Fellow Celebrities and Their Crypto Participation On October 7, the American actor, writer, and director Ben McKenzie has a problem with his fellow celebrities pushing certain crypto projects. So much so he wrote an opinion editorial denouncing the behavior and published it via the publication The Slate. Ben McKenzie is also a celebrity himself as his first high-profile role was in 2003, when he played “Ryan Atwood” in the television series “The O.C.” McKenzie also starred in the show “Southland” and the television series “Gotham.” The oped written by McKenzie is called “Celebrity Crypto Shilling Is a Moral Dis...

China has proposed adding cryptocurrency mining to the country’s latest “Negative List for Market Access.” This will make cryptocurrency mining an industry that is off-limits to investors, another move by the Chinese government to clamp down on crypto-related activities. China’s Negative List of Industries to Include Cryptocurrency Mining Cryptocurrency mining has been added to the 2021 draft “Negative List for Market Access,” according to an announcement on Friday by China’s National Development and Reform Commission, the state planner. The list was jointly released by the Commission and the Ministry of Commerce. The State Council explained: The negative list for market access outlines sectors, fields, and businesses off-limits for investors. Industries, fields, and businesses not on the list are open for investment to all market players. The list consists of 123 industries in 2020. The number of industries on the list has been reduced to 117 in the current version. Industries...

Binance has announced that it is terminating some services in South Africa to comply with regulations. This move followed a warning issued by the South African financial regulator that Binance Group was not authorized to give any financial advice or render any intermediary services in the country. Binance Ceases Some Services in South Africa Cryptocurrency exchange Binance announced Friday some changes to its offerings in South Africa. Noting that it “constantly evaluates its product and service offerings to comply with local regulations,” Binance said it will “cease offering” futures, options, margin, and leveraged tokens products to South African users. The company added: With immediate effect, South African users will be restricted from opening new accounts for these products. Users will have 90 days to reduce and close their positions for these products. The exchange continued, “Users will be able to top-up margin balances to prevent margin calls and liquidations, but they w...

Digital asset platform Bakkt has announced a partnership with Google “to introduce digital assets to millions of consumers.” With the partnership, Bakkt says consumers will benefit from the “expanded reach and access” to cryptocurrencies. Google Collaborates With Bakkt to Expand Consumer Access to Cryptocurrencies Intercontinental Exchange’s digital asset platform, Bakkt, announced Friday that it has partnered with Google “to introduce digital assets to millions of consumers.” By forming a partnership with Google, Bakkt said: Consumers will benefit from expanded reach and access to digital assets. Launched in 2018 by Intercontinental Exchange Inc., the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), Bakkt enables institutions and consumers to buy, sell, store and spend digital assets, including cryptocurrencies. Bakkt explained that “users will be able to add their virtual Bakkt Visa Debit Card into Google Pay to purchase everyday goods and services online, in-store, or w...

Cryptocurrency can be quite complicated for some and lawmakers in Russia think they need to contemplate restrictions for private investors. According to a high-ranking representative of the legislature, the Russian parliament needs to provide them with “maximum protection” against the risks. Members of Russian Parliament to Seek Protection for Citizens Investing in Cryptocurrency Deputies in the State Duma, the lower house of Russian parliament, are thinking about introducing certain legal restrictions on the funds non-qualified investors can put into crypto assets. Anatoly Aksakov , chairman of the parliamentary Financial Market Committee, revealed the intention during an international conference on consumer protection for users of financial services, Interfax reported. Billions of dollars are being spent on the acquisition of cryptocurrency, Aksakov noted in his statement while highlighting the great risks but also the great returns associated with this type of investment. He the...

Over the last few days, cryptocurrency advocates have been discussing the Sat Symbol initiative, a goal that aims to get a specifically designed symbol to represent the smallest unit of bitcoin and also get the symbol widely adopted. The Sat Symbol has been promoted by a number of crypto luminaries but others have offered alternative ideas. Initiative Attempts to Tie Symbol to Bitcoin’s Smallest Unit Most people know that Satoshi Nakamoto is the inventor of the Bitcoin protocol , the “purely peer-to-peer version of electronic cash” that was launched on January 3, 2009. The word Satoshi has Japanese roots and the name translates into definitions such as ‘quick-witted,’ ‘clear thinking’, and ‘wise.’ Furthermore, the popular anime Pokémon’s lead human character Ash Ketchum’s name is “Satoshi” in Japanese. While the name was used by Bitcoin’s inventor, the term “satoshi” (lowercase) is also the smallest unit of bitcoin. The term satoshi, when referring to bitcoin’s smallest unit, has ...

The cryptocurrency shiba inu has managed to capture the 18th position in terms of crypto market valuations. The token has gained 230% during the last seven days and year-to-date, SHIB has gained a whopping 24,177,682%. SHIB’s Value Swells After Whale Buys $43 Million Worth of Tokens The popular meme-based crypto-asset shiba inu (SHIB) has seen massive gains this year and has propelled itself into the top 20 market positions. At the time of writing, shiba inu has a market valuation of around $11.6 billion. While seven-day stats show SHIB has jumped over 230%, monthly metrics show the crypto asset has gained close to 300%. On Friday, October 8, 2021, there’s $13.9 billion in 24-hour SHIB trading volume. On September 30, 2021, a whale purchased over 6 trillion SHIB just before the price skyrocketed. Shiba inu made its way into the limelight when Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin donated $1 billion worth of SHIB to India’s Crypto Covid Relief. In recent times, Coinbase has l...

The Bitcoin.com Team is excited to announce support for Ethereum-based DApps in the Bitcoin.com Wallet via WalletConnect. Earn interest on your cryptoassets, trade using decentralized exchanges, participate in NFT marketplaces and more. What is WalletConnect? WalletConnect is a bridge that securely connects DApps to crypto wallets. Once you’ve approved the connection between your wallet and a DApp, the DApp can send transaction requests to your wallet, which you must then approve or deny. You can find more information about WalletConnect here . How do you connect to DApps in the Bitcoin.com Wallet? Just go to any DApp website, locate the “Connect” or “Sign in” button, and select WalletConnect as the connection / sign in method. This brings up a QR code and a link. Then, in the Bitcoin.com Wallet, tap the QR code icon on the home screen and either scan the DApp’s QR code, or paste in the link. Once you confirm via the Wallet, you’ll be connected to the DApp. This w...

According to the findings of a study by Afriwise, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa have the most developed fintech ecosystems on the continent. The study points to early regulation as one of the reasons for the industry’s success in these countries. Regulated Fintech Ecosystems Attract Investors Explaining the key role that regulation has played in the growth of the fintech sector in these three countries, the study states: The connection between regulations and a flourishing fintech sector is an important one. It is no coincidence that investors and businesses in fintech are drawn to markets with more robust financial regulatory ecosystems. It is one of the reasons that funding remains concentrated in a few markets. Indeed, the three countries along with Egypt “are recognised as the four fintech hubs in Africa, securing 80% of fundraising in 2020.” Importance of Regulation In contrast, investors have steered clear of African countries where there are no fintech regulatory e...

Dapper Labs, one of the most successful companies in the NFT space, has partnered with Chainalysis, a blockchain intelligence company, to increase its compliance profile in the NFT business. The company will use Chainalysis insights to have a better understanding of each one of the transactions that users make with their products and the purpose of each transaction. This will help them detect money laundering instances and market manipulation attempts. Dapper Labs to Use Chainalysis’ Solutions to Increase Oversight Dapper Labs, the creators of notable projects like Cryptokitties and NBA Top Shots, has partnered with Chainalysis , one of the leading blockchain intelligence companies, to increase oversight of transactions involving its products. The company is seeking to have a better understanding of what users are doing with its creations, and if these are indeed being leveraged by bad actors for illicit purposes. NFTs have gotten a bad rap, with some members of the cryptocurrenc...

The central bank of Georgia is advancing its digital currency project. The monetary authority is preparing to launch the CBDC as early as next year and plans to use the blockchain-based version of the national fiat, the Georgian lari, to facilitate retail sales. Georgia to Introduce Digital Lari in 2022 The National Bank of Georgia ( NBG ) intends to pilot its own digital currency in a program scheduled for next year, Vice President Papuna Lezhava revealed this week. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the high-ranking official remarked that 85% of the world’s central banks are already working on state-issued digital currencies. Quoted by the Interfax news agency, Lezhava stated: Some are in the research phase, some are testing, some have already implemented it, including China and the Bahamas. We also want to be at the forefront of this trend. The banker further elaborated that a central bank digital currency ( CBDC ) is not cryptocurrency but rather “an evolution of cash.” Never...

PRESS RELEASE. Dreamr Labs flagship product the Dreamr app gains significant traction after its recent $DMR token listing on Bittrex global exchange and sponsoring Charlie Rockets Dream Machine Tour #DMT21 NASSAU, BAHAMAS (OCTOBER 7, 2021) Dreamr (Ticker: DMR ) is the community driven platform created for users to pursue their personal and entrepreneurial dreams. The platform currently helps people to build a tribe around their declared dream or idea and has decentralized financial tools built on the blockchain in its roadmap to help users overcome monetary obstacles. Users can earn DMR tokens through Dreamr’s in-app rewards program by declaring their dream and using the app’s networking features. Dreamr social media sensation Charlie “Rocket” Jabaley recently embarked on a 45-day traveling bus tour set to give away $1 million dollars to app users who declare their dreams. The Dreamr token was recently listed on Bittrex global exchange, trading under the DMR symbol. The com...

Blockchain-based games and NFT trading were the driving force behind dapp adoption during Q3, according to defi insight platform Dappradar. In its Dapp Industry Report: Q3 2021 Overview, Dappradar states that the importance of these new activities in the crypto industry rose dramatically, making the space more diversified and competitive in the process. Defi also got a boost with platforms like Solana and Terra maturing to accommodate more projects. Dappradar: NFTs and Play-to-Earn Were Key During Q3 NFTs and play-to-earn games were very important for the industry during the last quarter, according to the Dapp Industry Report: Q3 2021 Overview issued by Dappradar. The report states the sector has surpassed traditional decentralized apps in unique active wallets, a testament to the popularity of these tools nowadays. The play-to-earn movement attracted more than 754,000 daily unique active wallets during Q3, providing more activity than other more established decentralized finance ...