Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

PRESS RELEASE. Prague, Czech Republic, 5 Nov 2021, StackSwap, the first complete DEX and Launchpad on the Bitcoin Network has announced the completion of its private round. According to the official press release, the blockchain platform was able to raise $1.3 million during the funding round. The investment round was led by the Stacks Foundation along with key blockchain venture capitalists including HashKey, Genesis Block Ventures (GBV) and SOSV. The early investors share the long-term vision of StackSwap to eventually become the biggest DEX on the Bitcoin Network. Stacks protocol on which Stackswap is built has attracted over $93 million in investments from renowned institutional investors like Coinbase Ventures and Winklevoss Capital. It is built on a Bitcoin-based layer-1 project that implements a smart contract function on Bitcoin and was the first token sale to be approved by the United States SEC. StackSwap released a statement following the successful private funding round

On November 10, 2021, Vogue Singapore, a team dedicated to fashion, beauty, and “stories that matter,” is launching a non-fungible token (NFT) drop on the marketplace Opensea. The drop will be the fashion and lifestyle magazine’s first NFT collection featuring digital-only Vogue covers crafted by NFT artists. Vogue to Drop the Firm’s First NFT Collection The fashion and lifestyle magazine Vogue and its subsidiary from Singapore is entering the world of non-fungible token (NFT) collectibles. The fashion firm is an old company as it was founded in 1892 by Arthur Baldwin Turnure, and the American company has since created a number of international offshoots. Vogue Singapore announced the launch of Vogue’s first NFT collection hosted on Opensea on November 10. The drop will feature “two digital-only cover NFTs created in collaboration with local and international digital designers,” Vogue Singapore’s team details. One of the Vogue Singapore NFT covers was crafted by the metaverse arti

New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams plans to make NYC the center of crypto and innovation. He says we must open our schools to teach cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, noting that bitcoin is “a new way of paying for goods and services throughout the entire globe.” NYC Mayor-Elect Wants Schools to Teach Bitcoin, Crypto, Blockchain New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams talked about making NYC the center for innovation and cryptocurrency in an interview with CNN Business Sunday. He also explained the reasoning behind his tweet saying that he will take his first three paychecks in bitcoin. Adams was asked, “Would you encourage businesses in New York City to accept bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies?” He replied: “We are going to look at it. We are going to tread carefully. We are going to get it right.” He proceeded to explain: “l want to send a signal. This city was the Empire State … This is the center of innovation, self-driving cars, drone development, cybersecurity, life s

Square Inc. has affirmed that its focus is on helping bitcoin become the native currency for the internet. CEO Jack Dorsey explained, “We have a number of initiatives toward that goal” that will help “bitcoin reach a mainstream audience while at the same time strengthening the network and ecosystem.” Square’s Focus Is on Helping Bitcoin Become the Native Currency for the Internet Square Inc. reiterated its commitment to bitcoin during the company’s Q3 earnings call Friday. Square also revealed that its mobile payment platform Cash App generated $1.8 billion in bitcoin revenue . Square’s market cap is currently $110 billion. During the call, Dorsey was asked whether Square is “looking to expand into crypto beyond bitcoin buy and sell,” such as offering other cryptocurrencies and enabling users to “engage in defined NFT ecosystems.” Dorsey simply replied, “We’re not,” emphasizing: Our focus is on helping bitcoin to become the native currency for the Internet … We have a number of

Building great products and teams is something Dushyant Acharya has approached with passion in his eighteen months as a Senior Manager in Engineering at Ripple. The road to creating the Internet of Value isn’t linear, but Dushyant navigates with commitment and enthusiasm. “I absolutely love everyone I work with, especially my team,” says Dushyant. “They … Continued The post Making an Impact with the Asian at Ripple Community appeared first on Ripple. http://dlvr.it/SC84C0

On November 8, 2021, the cryptocurrency economy’s market capitalization reached the $3 trillion mark after gathering significant value over the course of 12 years. The overall value of the 10,464 crypto-assets in existence is now larger than Microsoft’s market valuation at $2.52 trillion and Apple’s $2.47 trillion market cap. Cryptocurrency Economy Is Now More Valuable Than Company’s Like Microsoft, Apple, Google, Saudi Aramco Statistics indicate that on Monday, November 8, the net worth of the entire crypto-economy is valued at over $3 trillion, after jumping roughly 3.7% in value during the last day. The 10,464 coins in existence, worth over $3 trillion, have produced $206 billion in global trade volume during the last 24 hours. Years ago, people laughed and described crypto as merely valueless ‘Beanie Baby’ collectibles. Today, however, most are not laughing and they are either angry or simply taken back by the momentum of value. The crypto economy’s climb to $3 trillion has bee

PRESS RELEASE. Popular Bitcoin ATM operator, Bitcoin of America, has announced their newest location in one of Chicago’s hottest nightclubs. Joy District is known for its nightclub/restaurant hybrid. It is located in the heart of River North and has been awarded as one of Chicago’s best and hottest rooftop bars. You can now socialize at Joy District with friends and even interact with a Bitcoin ATM all at the same time. Bitcoin of America is a popular virtual currency exchange, registered as a money services business with the United States Department of Treasury (FinCEN)(RegNum). Bitcoin of America is known for ensuring a fast and hassle-free transaction, while providing top of the line customer support. They are headquartered in Chicago and have locations in most major cities across 31 US states. To date, Bitcoin of America has 30 plus Bitcoin ATM locations across the city of Chicago. You can find a majority of their locations in convenience stores, liquor stores, and 24-hour gas s

Nike, the American multinational footwear and sports apparel giant, is getting ready to step into the metaverse and the world of non-fungible token (NFT) technology. Reports show Nike has a few employees “thinking about the metaverse” and a 2019 patent for “cryptokicks” indicates Nike has been preparing to use NFTs for quite some time. Nike’s Well-Known Trademarks and ‘Downloadable Virtual Goods’ Several reports indicate that Nike ( NYSE:NKE ) is getting ready to step into the non-fungible technology realm and the footwear corporation may have been preparing to do so for a while now. The senior correspondent at Business Insider’s (BI) retail desk, Matthew Kish, explains in a recent analysis that “Nike is going all in on its metaverse play.” The report discusses Nike’s recent U.S. Patent and Trademark Office filing published this week. A number of well-known trademarks Nike owns were also included such as the “ Just Do It ” tagline, its SNKRS logo, the Air Jordan “Jumpman,” and

While companies like Microbt, Bitmain, Innosilicon, Strongu, Ebang, and Canaan have ruled the roost in terms of manufacturing application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) bitcoin miners, a new challenger has entered the competition. A relatively unknown integrated technology firm called AGM Group Holdings has seen a lot of ASIC sales and partnerships in recent times. A Relatively Unknown Semiconductor Firm Has Been Revealing Large Bitcoin Mining Rig Purchase Orders 2021 has seen record sales, in terms of ASIC mining rigs sold by bitcoin mining rig manufacturers like Microbt, Bitmain, and Canaan. Mining operations located all around the world have purchased thousands of bitcoin mining devices from these firms during the last year. The demand for ASICs has been so high, many orders placed this year are due to be shipped at some point in 2022. Now a new challenger has entered the ASIC bitcoin mining rig manufacturing competition and recent press announcements detail AGM Group Holdin

While gold is generally perceived to be the best hedge against inflation, a report written by author Kelsey Williams has now questioned this longstanding assertion. In the report, Williams argues that the current gold price of around $1,810 per ounce is much lower than the commodity’s average price in 1980. Gold Price Rise Lags Behind Inflation Williams’ averments suggest the yellow metal’s rate of increase in value over the past 41 years has lagged behind that of inflation. In a report that was published by FX Empire, the author uses nominal and inflation-adjusted gold prices to illustrate this point. For instance, according to a table shared in the report, the nominal price of gold has been on an upward trajectory from $664 per ounce recorded in February of 1980 to $1,825 by August 2011. However, when adjusted for inflation, it is the February 1980 price that rises the fastest, to $2,309, compared to the August 2011 price which is pegged at $2,220. A similar trend is also obser

The following article was written by CZ, Binance CEO & Co-Founder. DYOR, or do your own research, is a concept I think every investor should know about. It’s as close to a golden rule as anything in the world of crypto, but it applies more even broadly to anything you’re planning to invest in, from Bitcoin and bonds to stablecoins and stocks. Earlier this week, the anonymous developers behind a DeFi project named Squid Game token abruptly performed a “rug pull”, a common scam where the team behind a crypto project takes off with users’ funds. Because these scams are becoming more commonplace as the DeFi space grows, I’d like to take this opportunity to remind users that DeFi is not without its risks, and we hate to see anyone lose their funds due to scams and other cybercrimes. Squid Game Tokens: What Happened and Why? Last week, a cryptocurrency called SQUID began trading on PancakeSwap, a decentralized exchange. It quickly gained traction among users, many of whom thought th

Authorities in Russia are gearing up to amend various pieces of legislation to facilitate the issuing and function of the digital ruble. Officials in Moscow believe this version of the national fiat needs to be regulated separately from other digital forms of money such as cryptocurrencies. Russia Prepares to Trial Digital Ruble, Officials Say CBDC Needs Its Own Regulations Russian lawmakers are planning to begin work on legal changes necessary to implement the digital ruble concept in January 2022. These efforts will commence alongside the launch of an experiment for the central bank digital currency ( CBDC ), the chairman of the parliamentary Financial Market Committee, Anatoly Aksakov, told the Russian daily Izvestia. Aksakov pointed out that at least eight federal laws and five codes — the Civil, Tax, Budgetary, Criminal, and Administrative Code — need to be amended for the digital ruble’s implementation. The new provisions will concern a number of areas such as the powers of B

Square Enix, one of the biggest developers and publishers in the gaming world, has acknowledged the importance that NFTs and blockchain gaming could have for the future of the company. In its latest briefing session, Square Enix contemplated a “robust entry” into the blockchain games sector as part of its medium-term strategy process. Square Enix to Enter Blockchain Market Square Enix, developers of popular gaming franchises such as Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Kingdom Hearts, has revealed intentions of expanding its business model to now tackle the blockchain gaming market. The company made these remarks in its latest results briefing session on November 5, where Square Enix stated it would make a ‘robust entry’ into the blockchain gaming arena as part of its medium-term business strategy process. In the briefing, Square Enix recognized the change in attitude gamers are experiencing, wanting to have more control over the universe with which they interact. Furthermore, the comp

Solana Ventures, the investment arm of the Solana blockchain, FTX, and Lightspeed, a venture capital firm, have announced the launch of a joint web3 gaming initiative. The fund will have $100 million at its disposal to invest in gaming projects using blockchain-based systems in the Solana network. The fund has already made its first investment in Faraway, a Solana-based gaming company. Solana Ventures, FTX, and Lightspeed Put Funds Behind Blockchain Gaming A new blockchain gaming fund has been launched by Solana Ventures, the investment arm of the Solana blockchain , FTX, and Lightspeed, aiming to fund the most innovative blockchain gaming proposals built on the Solana network. The joint effort will invest $100 million in these kinds of initiatives to kickstart development in the Solana ecosystem. Amy Wu, a partner at Lightspeed, expressed excitement about this joint effort and what they are trying to achieve with the investment. She stated: We are looking to back great teams, b

The Senate in Kazakhstan has approved amendments aimed at preventing the legalization of illicit funds which will affect companies dealing with digital assets, among others. The new legislation subjects crypto service providers to the country’s financial monitoring regime. Senators Back Law Concerning Crypto Services in Kazakhstan Members of the upper house in Kazakhstan’s parliament, the Senate, have recently adopted new legislation tailored to improve the prevention of the laundering of proceeds of crime and the financing of terrorism. Key provisions adopted with a new law pertain to the establishment of the legal institute of ‘public officials’ and their financial auditing. The amendments have been designed to improve the nation’s anti-money laundering framework as a whole and some of them concern cryptocurrency platforms. A report by Sputnik Kazakhstan reveals that the authors have proposed “to regulate the operation of virtual asset providers.” During a plenary session, Sena

PRESS RELEASE. Since blockchain technology and crypto have become the power of the next industrial revolution in recent years, Africa has been making concerted efforts to ensure inclusion in the conversation. As a multipurpose African bank with over 200,000 customers around the world, DafriBank brings the Digital Bank of Africa (DBA) project into existence, and aims for making it Africa’s number 1 cryptocurrency. Taking a step forward, DBA is listed on trading platforms like LBank Exchange, to further expand its global influence and reach. Introducing DafriBank DafriBank is a multipurpose African bank that explores an easy and better way to save, make payments, manage customer’s money and business anytime, anywhere. The traditional banks are finding it difficult to cope with the demands of digitally-focused modern businesses, which has limited their growth. DafriBank solves this problem by providing exceptional digital banking services that are fast, secure, and cost-effective. Its

This weekend, the non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace Opensea surpassed $10 billion in all-time sales. Statistics show that 629,867 traders contributed to the $10 billion in sales and the average sale price since the NFT market’s launch is $872 per NFT. Opensea Cracks $10 Billion in All-Time Sales NFTs have become very popular in 2021 and the trend continues toward the end of the year. Just recently, Bitcoin.com News covered the NFT industry and market action data compiled by nonfungible.com. The report had shown 2021’s third quarter broke records surpassing the NFT metrics recorded in Q1 and Q2. Now the leading NFT marketplace Opensea has reached a record milestone surpassing $10 billion in all-time NFT sales. Opensea is the largest NFT market in terms of all-time settlement and the second largest NFT project is Axie Infinity. Axie Infinity has seen $2.99 billion in all-time sales and recently launched an NFT marketplace. Axie Infinity sales is 29.90% of Opensea’s all-time sale

Global investment bank JPMorgan has doubled down on its bitcoin price prediction of $146K. The bank’s analyst explained that the price of the cryptocurrency could reach that level if its volatility subsides and institutional investors start investing in bitcoin more than gold in their portfolios. JPMorgan Renews $146K Bitcoin Price Prediction JPMorgan released an inaugural report of its new publication last week focusing on the outlook for alternative investments, including digital assets. A new report is expected to be released every two to three months. The firm’s analyst Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou has predicted that the price of bitcoin could reach $146K in the long term, with a short-term price target of $73,000 for 2022. “Digital assets are on a multi-year structural ascent, but the current entry point looks unattractive in our opinion for an investment horizon of 12 months as bitcoin appears to have returned to overbought territory,” he explained. The JPMorgan analyst added: “

Tesla and Spacex CEO Elon Musk has asked his Twitter followers whether he should sell his Tesla stock. He has also promised to abide by the results of the poll. Many people urge Musk to sell his Tesla shares and put money into cryptocurrency, particularly bitcoin. Elon Musk Asks Twitter Followers to Decide Whether to Sell His Tesla Shares; Most Said Yes Tesla CEO Elon Musk set up a poll on Twitter Saturday asking his 62.7 million followers to decide whether he should sell 10% of his Tesla stock. “Much is made lately of unrealized gains being a means of tax avoidance, so I propose selling 10% of my Tesla stock. Do you support this?” Musk tweeted. In a follow-up tweet, he noted that he does “not take a cash salary or bonus from anywhere,” emphasizing, “I only have stock, thus the only way for me to pay taxes personally is to sell stock.” The Tesla boss also promised: I will abide by the results of this poll, whichever way it goes. Musk’s poll has drawn much media attention. It r

Billionaire investor Stan Druckenmiller has warned that everything is in a bubble, mentioning cryptocurrency, meme stocks, equities, and bonds in particular. “This bubble is in everything, every asset on the planet,” Druckenmiller stressed. Druckenmiller’s Warning: Every Asset Is in a Bubble Stan Druckenmiller discussed bubbles and value investing last week in a conversation with American billionaire investor and hedge fund manager Seth Klarman at the Boston Investment Conference. Druckenmiller is chairman and CEO of Duquesne Family Office LLC. He was previously a managing director at Soros Fund Management where he had overall responsibility for funds with a peak asset value of $22 billion. According to Forbes’ list of billionaires, his personal net worth is currently $6.8 billion. Klarman, who is the CEO of hedge fund Baupost Group, reportedly asked him: “If the bond market is what everybody’s keying off of and the bond market is in a bubble, then everything’s a bubble, is that

The Onecoin Ponzi scheme is still making headlines as reports from a trial in Germany revealed the missing ‘Cryptoqueen,’ Ruja Ignatova, purchased a London penthouse worth $18.2 million with proceeds from the Onecoin operation. The Münster court’s findings stem from the trial against Martin Breidenbach, Ignatova’s German attorney, who is being accused of money laundering. ‘Cryptoqueen’ Ruja Ignatova’s $18.2 Million London Penthouse – Apartment Stuffed With Fine Art, Rare Andy Warhol Piece Ruja Ignatova, Onecoin’s ‘Cryptoqueen,’ purchased a luxury penthouse apartment in London via a shell company, according to recent reports from the BBC. The report notes that Martin Breidenbach is on trial in Münster, Germany with two other individuals over alleged money laundering charges that are connected to the Onecoin pyramid scheme and Ruja Ignatova. Reports published years ago show that Breidenbach started working with Onecoin in 2014. The lawyer worked with the law firm Breidenbach Recht

Decentralized finance (defi) protocols continue to shine as the total value locked in defi is over $260 billion. While Ethereum started the defi trend and holds the lion’s share of TVL in defi, a great number of decentralized applications (dapps) are supporting a slew of alternative blockchains. Today’s Most Popular Dapps Support More Than One Network On November 7, the total value locked in defi is $260 billion according to defillama statistics on Sunday. When defi first started making waves, most of the dapps that people interacted with leveraged the Ethereum ( ETH ) blockchain. Toward the end of 2021, all that has changed as cross-chain technology is hotter than ever and dapps are now supporting a myriad of networks. For instance, Curve, the automated market maker (AMM) protocol, holds the largest percentage of TVL with its $20.08 billion commanding 7.71%. Curve also connects with seven different blockchain networks with Ethereum included. Chains include Avalanche, Harmony, Pol

Restaurant chain Jack in the Box has sued cryptocurrency exchange FTX alleging that the crypto company “brazenly and illegally copied or derived its ‘Moon Man’ mascot” from its own mascot. The lawsuit details that FTX’s refusal to stop using Moon Man has caused Jack in the Box “considerable economic damage and irreparable harm, including by devaluing the goodwill associated with Jack.” Jack in the Box Says FTX’s Moon Man Is an ‘Inferior Version of Jack’ One of America’s largest hamburger chains, Jack in the Box (JITB), has sued cryptocurrency exchange FTX, co-founded by CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, over its mascot. Jack in the Box operates and franchises more than 2,200 restaurants in 21 U.S. states and Guam. According to a lawsuit filed in the U.S. district court of Southern District of California on Nov. 3, FTX US is accused of copyright infringement, trademark dilution, trademark infringement, false designation of origin, and unfair competition. FTX recently launched a series of adve

Congress has passed the Biden administration’s bill aimed at improving infrastructure, fighting climate change, and bolstering social services. The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which also expands the definition of a broker, awaits U.S. president Joe Biden’s signature after passing with a vote of 228–206 on Friday. Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Passes to the Tune of $1.2 Trillion The bipartisan infrastructure bill has been a hot topic in recent times and on Friday the bill passed in Congress and now awaits president Biden’s approval. The passing followed weeks of delays and debates as 13 Republicans joined a large majority of Democrats in order to help forward the proposal. BREAKING: The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill was just passed by the House and will now go to President Biden's desk. They can't stop spending and asset prices can't stop going up. — Pomp 🌪 (@APompliano) November 6, 2021 Bitcoin.com News reported on the bill three days ago when it w