Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

Kirill Doronin, mastermind of the Russian crypto Ponzi scheme Finiko, has proposed to testify against dozens of his former associates he claims violated his order to accept only cryptocurrency from investors. The founder of Russia’s largest financial pyramid in modern times has already provided detailed testimonies against a long list of accomplices, a media report revealed. Kirill Doronin Ready to Expose His Closest Finiko Associates The man behind the cryptocurrency pyramid Finiko has offered to cooperate with Russian authorities in a likely attempt to limit the repercussions for himself. Kirill Doronin, an Instagram influencer associated with other scams in the past, now wants to testify against 44 of his subordinates who, as he claims, “went against the precepts” of Finiko by taking fiat cash from victims, which he insists he never authorized. Doronin was detained as the Ponzi scheme crumbled this summer, and has since been moved from the Russian Republic of Tatarstan to the ca...

A growing number of fund managers and institutional investors now prefer bitcoin over gold. They see the cryptocurrency as a better store of value and a better inflation hedge. “I think it’s probably going to be ten times better than gold over a long period of time,” said the founder of one asset management firm. Bitcoin vs Gold: Bitcoin Is a Better Store of Value Fund managers and institutional investors are increasingly opting to invest in bitcoin rather than gold, seeing the cryptocurrency as a better store of value and a preferred hedge against inflation. During his company’s Q3 earnings call last week, Galaxy Digital Holdings CEO Mike Novogratz talked about bitcoin being a better store of value than gold. While stating, “I still think gold was probably an okay asset to own in this environment,” he emphasized that “It’s just gotten crushed by bitcoin.” Novogratz added: Bitcoin is just a better version of a store value and it’s being accepted at an accelerating pace … There ar...

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has revealed that $3.5 billion in crypto was seized during the fiscal year 2021. This represents 93% of all funds seized by its criminal investigation unit during the same time period. The agency expects to seize billions of dollars more in cryptocurrency next year. IRS Says It Could Seize Even More Than $3.5 Billion in Cryptocurrency Next Year The Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation (CI) unit, the tas authority’s law enforcement branch, released the 2021 Criminal Investigation Annual Report Thursday. IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig explained that “CI agents are the only federal law enforcement officers with the authority to investigate criminal violations of the U.S. tax code.” The report details statistics, partnerships, and significant criminal enforcement actions from IRS-CI for the past fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, 2020, and ended Sept. 30, 2021. Among several major crypto cases highlighted in the report is “the longest-runnin...

The CEO of Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), the country’s largest bank, sees big risks in not participating in cryptocurrency. “We see risks in participating, but we see bigger risks in not participating,” he explained. Crypto FOMO, Banks Need to Get Involved, Says CEO of Commonwealth Bank Commonwealth Bank of Australia CEO Matt Comyn talked about the fear of missing out (FOMO) when it comes to bitcoin and cryptocurrency in an interview with Bloomberg Television in Sydney Thursday. Commonwealth Bank, or Commbank, is an Australian multinational bank with businesses across New Zealand, Asia, the U.S, and the U.K. Comyn explained that although cryptocurrencies are “very volatile and speculative,” banks need to be involved in crypto and blockchain technology, citing the insatiable demand from customers to trade crypto. He said: We see risks in participating, but we see bigger risks in not participating. While emphasizing, “It’s important to say we don’t have a view on the asse...

While cryptocurrencies have seen their values rise significantly during the last three months many digital asset holders will be spending their tokens for holiday gifts and Black Friday deals. Bitcoin Black Friday will be on November 26 this year and the crypto payments firm Bitpay has announced a slew of merchants that will offer deals for shoppers paying with digital assets. Bitpay Merchants Offering Black Friday Deals The world’s largest cryptocurrency payments provider Bitpay has revealed a number of merchants the company is partnered with that will offer deals for Black Friday shoppers who prefer to pay in crypto. Bitcoin Black Friday has been celebrated for years now and bitcoiners have always been on the hunt for special deals every year it comes around. Bitpay has revealed a slew of merchants with special deals but some of the promotions will be unveiled during the course of Thanksgiving week until Friday. Bitpay merchants participating in Black Friday this year include Ace...

President Nayib Bukele, of El Salvador, announced yesterday he would issue a $1 billion “Bitcoin Bond” to build the first Bitcoin City in the world. The city would feature no taxes of any kind except VAT, and it would be carbon neutral, with most of the energy powering it coming from geothermal sources. Bukele also announced that El Salvador would partner with Blockstream and use its liquid network to issue the aforementioned bond. Bitcoin City Announced in El Salvador El Salvador and its president, Nayib Bukele , have taken the next step that will integrate bitcoin further into the lives of its citizens. Bukele announced yesterday at the closing event of Labitconf, a Latam-based Bitcoin conference, the construction of the first Bitcoin City in the world that would be funded with the issuance of a $1 billion Bitcoin Bond. This city would be located at the east of the country, with its infrastructure being powered by geothermal energy. The city would also feature zero taxes for its...

PRESS RELEASE. The Ethereum-based solution will be a premier, bespoke online community, bringing together NFT investors, partners, play-to-earn gamers and developers. While new NFT and PTE gaming sites are being deployed seemingly everyday, few if any have tied together in a seamless, intuitive way a truly robust and inclusive community that delights and rewards all key stakeholders. Funganomics , however, is building for “what’s next” in this new and exciting space, addressing the gaps in functionality and user experience currently challenging other platforms and their digital communities. Specifically, the new ecosystem will comprise several key functional areas that will work together symbiotically, including Fungatopia (NFTs), FGS Games (PTE Gaming) and Fungality (AR/VR Experiences) all completing successful registered trademark applications. The UK-based company announced on 18th of November successful completion of its initial seed round of funding, the source of which was...

Cryptocurrency markets have started to recuperate from last week’s losses as bitcoin, ethereum, and a slew of digital assets have seen slight gains. However, the cryptocurrency avalanche has seen its value skyrocket this past week 46.9% higher over the last seven days. Avalanche has also crept into the top ten digital asset market valuations with its $31.5 billion market cap. On November 21, avalanche tapped an all-time price high at $144 per unit as the crypto asset has gained a whopping 3,795% in 12 months. Avalanche Value Spikes Over 20% Over the Last 24 Hours The crypto asset avalanche (AVAX) has increased a great deal over the last 24 hours jumping in value more than 21%. Besides gala (GALA), avalanche is the biggest crypto asset gainer during the last day. On Sunday, AVAX reached an all-time high (ATH) at over $144 per unit and has entered the top ten cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. AVAX’s market is just below the stablecoin market usd coin’s (USDC) $36.2 billion c...

Nigeria is once again Sub Sahara Africa’s biggest recipient of remittances into the region where the money transfers went up by 6.2 percent to $45 billion, a new World Bank report has shown. The Impact of Nigerian Policies on Remittances According to the November 17, 2021 press release , this increase in the value of funds sent is in fact a rebound from the total remittances that were sent by Nigerians in the corresponding period last year. The statement partly attributes this increase to measures that were introduced by the country’s monetary authorities in the first quarter of 2021. These measures seek to encourage the use of formal channels when sending money back home. “Nigeria, the region’s largest recipient, is experiencing a moderate rebound in remittance flows, in part due to the increasing influence of policies intended to channel inflows through the banking system,” the statement explained. As previously reported by Bitcoin.com News, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) —...

Users of Russia’s central bank digital currency are going to pay a fee for each transaction, a high-ranking representative of Bank of Russia has recently announced. The digital ruble charge, however, is not going to exceed those currently applied to fast payments in the country. Bank of Russia to Charge for Digital Ruble Transfers The Central Bank of Russia ( CBR ) is planning to impose fees on transactions with the digital ruble, revealed Kirill Pronin, director of the regulator’s Financial Technologies Department. The official emphasized that these commissions will be lower than current charges for transfers in the banking sector. Speaking at a forum under the banner “Banking System of Russia: Ensuring Availability of Services and Resources in the Face of Increasing Risks,” Pronin further noted that the fees will certainly not exceed the costs of transfers with Russia’s Faster Payments System ( FPS ). Quoted by the business news agency Prime, he stated: We assume fees on transa...

The broadband internet connectivity platform, 3air , aims to bring seamless broadband connectivity within Africa. The recently announced platform recognizes the internet connectivity issues and the enormous interest in blockchain technology on the African continent. 3air solves the connectivity challenge by using wireless broadband technology to reach previously under-connected areas. 3air is built on the Cardano blockchain , leveraging the chain’s progressive technologies. Furthermore, the 3air token takes advantage of the IOHK Atala Prism Identification Management solution. The company plans to build broadband in developing countries where other institutions have not been able to lay out the required infrastructure. Most of Africa’s internet users connect using mobile internet, which is often limited in bandwidth, expensive and unreliable. 3air plans to offer broadband internet with speed up to 1 Gbps, along with IP telephony and digital TV subscriptions. According to the World ...

The American social media personality and model, Alexis Ren believes the fiat economy is “collapsing” and recently she told the press she thinks cryptocurrencies offer a viable alternative. In a recent interview, Ren explained her interest in crypto is fueled by the socialite’s reservations in the dollar-based economy. Alexis Ren: ‘The Economic Structure We Have Been Living on Is a Lie and It’s Delusional’ During the last 12 months, numerous analysts and economists have said that the U.S. economy faces uncertainty. At the end of October Robert Kiyosaki, the best-selling author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, explained that he believes America is “sliding into depression.” On Friday, Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff told the media that he thinks “we’re on a knife-edge” in terms of where inflation in the U.S. is going. However, famed novelists, analysts, and American economists are not the only ones predicting bad times are ahead for the U.S. economy. Business Insider’s (BI) Jim Edwards dis...

A teenager has been arrested in Canada after committing what law enforcement officials in Ontario have described as the largest crypto theft by a single person. The Canadian is accused of stealing tens of millions of dollars through a SIM swap targeting a crypto holder in the U.S. Teen Arrested in Canada for Stealing Crypto Fortune From American A young Canadian from Hamilton, Ontario province, has been accused of stealing cryptocurrency worth $46 million Canadian dollars (over $36 million). The digital money was allegedly misappropriated in a SIM swapping attack on a victim residing in the United States. Local police believe this is the largest crypto theft committed by one man, the Toronto Star reported. In March 2020, Canadian law enforcement joined forces with the U.S. Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force and the FBI on the investigation which led to the arrest of the teenager, according to a statement by the Hamilton Police Service. The press release revealed that po...

A California man has been sentenced to three years in federal prison “for operating an unlicensed business that exchanged at least $13 million in bitcoin and cash, often for drug traffickers,” the U.S. Department of Justice said. He agreed to forfeit various assets, including seized cryptocurrency. Bitcoin Exchange Operator Sentenced to 3 Years in Jail The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Thursday that a California man, Hugo Sergio Mejia, was sentenced “to 36 months in federal prison for operating an unlicensed business that exchanged at least $13 million in bitcoin and cash, often for drug traffickers.” The 50-year-old San Bernardino County man pleaded guilty on July 1 to “one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and one count of money laundering,” the DOJ detailed. Mejia operated a cryptocurrency exchange business converting bitcoin to cash and vice versa from May 2018 to September 2020. He charged commissions for these transactions but never r...

Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has urged nation-states to “start paying greater attention to the rise of cryptocurrency.” She warned that crypto could undermine the role of the dollar as the world’s reserve currency and could destabilize nations. Hillary Clinton Warns Cryptocurrency Poses Risk to US Dollar and Nations’ Stability Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton talked about cryptocurrency Friday during a panel discussion at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore. While addressing a range of new challenges, including disinformation and artificial intelligence (AI), Clinton said, “One more area that I hope nation-states start paying greater attention to is the rise of cryptocurrency.” The former Secretary of State added: What looks like a very interesting and somewhat exotic effort to literally mine new coins in order to trade with them has the potential for undermining currencies, for undermining the role of the dollar as the reserve c...

The CEO of Microstrategy says that bitcoin will emerge as a $100 trillion asset class and will grow 100X from where it is today. He said the cryptocurrency is winning against gold as a store of value and he is not worried about regulation. “I’m not at all troubled with the regulations that’s going on right now.” ‘Bitcoin Is Winning, Gold Is Losing’ as Store of Value Microstrategy CEO Michael Saylor talked about the future outlook for bitcoin in an interview with CNBC Friday. He discussed the institutional adoption of bitcoin, crypto regulation, market volatility, gold versus bitcoin, and BTC as the world’s dominant digital asset and safe-haven investment. His company currently hodls 114,042 BTC . He was asked whether he is going to keep stacking bitcoin at the current price or wait for a further pullback. He replied: “We are going to keep stacking forever.” On the topic of bitcoin vs. gold, Saylor was asked whether he thinks “bitcoin has replaced, or will replace, or is in the p...

The securities regulator of the U.S. state of Alabama has issued a cease and desist order against Acoin Trading and 96 other cryptocurrency websites. The crypto investment schemes promise “excessive returns,” report “fictitious account values,” and impose “undisclosed fees.” US State Regulator Orders 97 Crypto Trading Websites to Shut Down Alabama Securities Commission announced Thursday that it has issued a cease and desist order against 97 cryptocurrency trading websites . The announcement states: The Alabama Securities Commission (ASC) issued a cease and desist order against Sir Philip Zuka owner of Acoin Trading and 96 other fraudulent crypto trading platforms. “The order is a result of Zuka’s failure to register his investment products and failure to register as an investment adviser,” the regulator detailed, adding: Zuka is in violation of Alabama securities laws for promising excessive returns, reporting fictitious account values and imposing undisclosed fees to an Alab...

Cryptocurrencies are anonymous and the government shouldn’t encourage their spread, the head of Bank of Russia has insisted. The regulator remains firmly opposed to the legalization of bitcoin and the like as a means of payment in the Russian Federation. Bank of Russia Reiterates Negative Stance on Cryptocurrencies, Legalization of Bitcoin A “responsible state” should not stimulate the proliferation of cryptocurrencies, according to Elvira Nabiullina, chair of the Central Bank of Russia ( CBR ). The head of the monetary authority made the declaration in the lower house of the Russian parliament, the State Duma. The high-ranking official emphasized that the bank has “an extremely negative attitude towards cryptocurrencies” which she described as “private currencies pretending to be money.” Quoted by the Tass news agency, Nabiullina elaborated: These cryptocurrencies are anonymous, no one is accountable for them, and, in our opinion, a responsible state should not stimulate their s...

Inflation in the U.S. has a large number of Americans worried about the future of their purchasing power as the cost of goods and services has continued to rise faster every month. Reports note that Americans are struggling to pay for child care, groceries, gasoline, lumber, healthcare supplies, and used vehicles. On Friday, Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff told the press U.S. inflation was “eye popping” and in terms of where inflation is headed, Rogoff stressed he thinks “we’re on a knife-edge.” Members of the US Central Bank Begin to Favor Tapering Asset Purchases — Taper Discussions to Likely Happen at Fed’s December Meeting On Friday, Reuters reported that the U.S. central bank’s policymakers are publicly debating whether or not the Federal Reserve will taper bond purchases and raise the benchmark interest rate. Fed Governor Christopher Waller told the press on Friday that the tapering should begin soon. “The rapid improvement in the labor market and the deteriorating inflation...

Ten members of the U.S. House of Representatives have called on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to address the problem with the crypto provision in the infrastructure law. They explained that the current definition of a broker in the law “would increase uncertainty in the cryptocurrency industry, pick winners and losers … all while eroding our country’s competitive edge against other countries in the digital asset marketplace.” 10 Lawmakers Urge House Speaker Pelosi to Address the Crypto Provision in Infrastructure Law Ten members of the U.S. House of Representatives have jointly sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi about the crypto provision in the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill which President Joe Biden signed into law this week. The letter was signed by Representatives Darren Soto, Ro Khanna, Stacey Plaskett, Eric Swalwell, Tim Ryan, Susan Wild, Marc Veasey, Jake Auchincloss, Al Lawson, and Charlie Crist. “We write to express our concerns with the digital asset pr...

During the last 90 days, Bitcoin’s hashrate has been climbing higher and has been slowly nearing the all-time high (ATH) the network captured six months ago in May. The accelerated hashrate has caused the network difficulty to rise, as Bitcoin’s mining difficulty has adjusted upward nine times in a row to date and it’s closing in on the network difficulty ATH recorded six months ago. Bitcoin’s Mining Difficulty Approaches Lifetime High Bitcoin’s mining difficulty is approaching the all-time high recorded on May 13, 2021. The network’s difficulty is basically a mechanism Satoshi Nakamoto added to maintain a steady rate of close to ten-minute blocks. Furthermore, the difficulty also makes the entire system stronger security-wise, as a 51% attack becomes a lot more expensive and far more difficult to achieve. When the hashrate changes, every two weeks, the network takes the change into account, and when the hashrate increases the difficulty to mine bitcoin ( BTC ) also rises. When the...

Russian parliamentarians have cautioned against risks associated with the introduction of a digital ruble. Among them are the likely increase of competition pressure on banks and new challenges that may arise in the field of information security. Financial Market Committee Sees Threats in Digital Ruble Project Russia’s digital fiat, currently under development, brings certain risks that lawmakers want the central bank to carefully examine. The implementation of the digital ruble may pose a challenge for the country’s financial sector, members of the important Financial Market Committee at the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, have noted after deliberations on the project. The conclusion comes in response to the “Main Directions of Monetary Policy Until 2024” presented by the Central Bank of Russia ( CBR ), crypto news outlet Forklog reported this week. The document covers the prospects for the launch of a national digital currency among other aspects of Moscow’s governmen...

Gemini, the regulated cryptocurrency exchange founded by the Winklevoss Twins, has raised $400 million in its most recent growth equity funding round. This financial round gave it a valuation of $7.1 billion, being one of the most valuable exchanges in the crypto world. The financial round, led by Morgan Creek, also had the participation of key leaders in the venture capital sector. Gemini has been investing heavily in alternative metaverse proposals. Gemini Hits $7.1 Billion Valuation Gemini, the cryptocurrency exchange created by the Winklevoss twins, the two Facebook dissidents, has raised $400 million in its latest growth equity funding round. The round was led by Morgan Creek, which put up $75 million, with Sachin Jaitly (a general partner at Morgan Creek) becoming the third member of Gemini’s board of directors, apart from Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. Other important backers in the round included 10T, ParaFi, Newflow Partners, Marcy Venture Partners, and the Commonwealth Ban...

Quentin Tarantino, the acclaimed film director, is being sued by Miramax, a Hollywood film producer and distributing company, due to the auction of a series of NFTs related to “Pulp Fiction,” one of the director’s most popular films. The conflict lies in the interpretation that Miramax makes from the initial contract between the parts, arguing that the sale of NFTs does not constitute a publication of any part of the script. Miramax Sues Quentin Tarantino Miramax, the Hollywood movie company, sued Quentin Tarantino, the acclaimed film director, for the upcoming auction of a series of Pulp Fiction-themed NFT’s. Tarantino announced it would auction a series of never before seen items of the film in the form of NFTs, including the famous “royale with cheese” handwritten screenplay scene. The auction would utilize a blockchain called the Secret Network, which would allow the content of these NFTs to be secret until the sale of the item. Miramax affirms that while Tarantino has the rig...