Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

The CEO of Microstrategy expects the price of bitcoin to reach $6 million, noting that it is “unstoppable” and will replace gold. The executive personally owns 17,732 bitcoins while his company is hodling 122,478 bitcoins. Microstrategy’s CEO Expects Bitcoin to Hit $6 Million Microstrategy CEO Michael Saylor talked about his bitcoin strategy and BTC price prediction in a recent interview with the Information, published this week. Saylor revealed that he personally owns at least 17,732 bitcoins, which is the same amount he disclosed back in October last year. At the current BTC price, his bitcoin stash is worth almost $858 million. The Microstrategy executive never sold any of his bitcoins and does not believe they should ever be sold. Furthermore, the Information reported: Saylor foresees bitcoin hitting $600,000 a coin, and eventually $6 million. Meanwhile, Microstrategy has amassed 122,478 BTC , worth almost $6 billion at the current price. The coins were acquired at an

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in collaboration with Citibank, Sony, and Japanese law enforcement, has taken action to “return more than $154 million in funds that were allegedly stolen from a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation.” The U.S. Department of Justice detailed: “As a result of this coordinated effort, investigators obtained the ‘private key’ … needed to access the bitcoin address.” Citibank and Sony Help FBI Seize Bitcoin Worth $180 Million The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced this week that the U.S. has “filed a civil forfeiture complaint” to “return more than $154 million in funds that were allegedly stolen from a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation.” The FBI and various Japanese law enforcement agencies investigated the case “with significant assistance from Sony and Citibank,” the announcement details, adding: As a result of this coordinated effort, investigators obtained the ‘private key’ … needed to access the bitcoi

The hashpower behind the Bitcoin network has continued to stay above the 180 exahash per second (EH/s) zone after recently reaching a lifetime high. Five months ago the hashrate tapped a low at 69 EH/s and since then, the hashpower has increased by 163% during the last 178 days, or five months ago. Bitcoin Hashrate Continues to Run Hot at End of Year Following China’s Crackdown on Bitcoin Mining This Past Summer Miners dedicating SHA256 hashpower to the Bitcoin blockchain have been keeping the processing power above 180 EH/s. At the time of writing on December 23, BTC ’s hashrate is hovering just above the 186 EH/s zone. The recent hashrate highs follow BTC ’s lifetime hashrate high tapping 194.95 EH/s on December 8, 2021. Since then, metrics indicate that the hashrate has been hovering below that region and 30-day stats show a few times when the it quickly came close to the December 8 high. BTC ’s hashrate is currently doing a whole lot better than records show on June 28, 2021,

In the absence of regulations, people in Pakistan have invested a serious amount of money in digital assets. New research claims Pakistanis keep some $20 billion in cryptocurrency, allegedly more than what their central bank has in foreign reserves. Government Urged for Regulations as Study Shows Pakistanis Hold $20 Billion in Cryptocurrency The Pakistani nation owns more cryptocurrency than foreign reserves, according to the Pakistan Frontier and other media outlets quoting a new report by the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI). The study, produced by the association’s Policy Advisory Board (PAB), has estimated that Pakistanis have held cryptocurrency worth $20 billion in the 2020-21 period. The authors point out that the popularity of digital currencies like bitcoin has rapidly increased in the last couple of years. With a 711% market growth in 12 months, Pakistan climbed to third place in this year’s Global Crypto Adoption Index calculated by block

Ethair Market has listed ETHR token on Uniswap as a result of its first governance vote by the holders. Utilities of the token are directly tied to a user’s interaction with the marketplace. On top of the proprietary token, Ethair Market currently supports fiat and cryptocurrencies such as: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Stellar and USDC, and more . The marketplace is currently in beta, allowing sellers to their items before the full release. Ethair Market operates in the traditional B2C/C2C modes with two types of listings: Market which are new fixed price items, and “Buy Offer Bid” (referred to as BOB on the platform) which includes new and used auction items that customers can buy outright, make an offer on, or bid on like in traditional auctions. Ethair is aggressively marketing through Google, YouTube, Yahoo, and Twitter ads. Running Uber ads in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York with soon to have nationwide major highway billboards. You may check ETHR’s token contract here .

According to a new report, illegal transactions, scams and gambling together make up less than 3% of the volume on the Bitcoin blockchain while exchanges and trading desks account for around 80% of volume. Exchanges Dominate Bitcoin Volumes A new study called “B lockchain Analysis of the Bitcoin Market” has found that illegal transactions, scams, and gambling combined account for just 3% of all onchain bitcoin trade volume. On the other hand, the study asserts that exchange and trading desk-related volume — which is mostly speculative — constitutes about 80% of the total volume. In their analysis, the authors of a report released by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) appear to debunk the assertion that illegal transactions dominate bitcoin ( BTC ) trade volumes. In particular, the authors, Igor Makarov from the London School of Economics and Antoinette Schoar of the MIT Sloan School of Management, explain how earlier studies were likely to be overstating the economic

The Dubai World Trade Centre will become a comprehensive ecosystem for cryptocurrencies and providers of related services. The move is part of efforts to support new industries and the emirate intends to source help from crypto companies like Binance. Dubai World Trade Centre to Host and Regulate Crypto Space Authorities in the United Arab Emirates plan to establish a special zone at the Dubai World Trade Centre ( DWTC ) from which businesses dealing with digital assets will be able to offer their products and services. The government of Dubai announced that the DWTC will also play the role of a regulator for the sector, enforcing “rigorous standards for investor protection, anti-money laundering (AML), combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) compliance and cross border deal flow tracing.” According to an official announcement, the goal is to further develop Dubai’s virtual assets space and market by introducing a regulatory framework for innovative financial products that incl

The popularity of cryptocurrencies in economically embattled Turkey has continued to surge with the number of daily trades now surpassing one million, a report has said. This surge in trades has been attributed to the depreciating lira which plunged to a new low against the USD on December 20. Lira Plunges Cryptocurrency trades in inflation-stricken Turkey have surged to above one million per day for the first time since March, a Reuters report citing Chainalysis and Kaiko data has said. According to the report , the return to over a million trades per day has come at a time when Turkey’s fiat currency, the lira, has depreciated by almost 40% since September. Prior to the latest surge, cryptocurrency trades in Turkey had previously surpassed the one million per day mark after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s unexpected dismissal of the central bank governor on March 22. The dismissal of then-governor Naci Agbal sparked inflation fears among Turks and caused the lira to plunge by

On December 22, Twitter trends indicate that thousands of people on social media are talking about the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) “Great Reset” agenda, as Reuters and the BBC had run fact-checking posts on the subject. According to the reports, the Great Reset has been tied to various conspiracy theories and the initiative was launched in June 2020. BBC, Reuters Fact Checkers Claim Great Reset Initiative Has Been Hijacked by Conspiracy Theories Ever since the outbreak of Covid-19, an agenda called the Great Reset has been discussed far and wide across the globe. The subject has been tied to a number of theories that claim the global elite are planning to reset society and the economy to “build back better.” A Reuters fact check article says that the initiative was named the Great Reset in June 2020. In recent times, Reuters journalists claim that an image circulating on the internet inviting Dutch politicians to a Great Reset-themed forum in Davos “has been taken out of context.

Xinhua, the official news agency of China, is going to issue an NFT collection with photographs depicting historic moments of the passing year. The initiative, which comes amid an ongoing crypto crackdown, is seen as a boost for blockchain, the technology that also underpins cryptocurrencies. Xinhua to Create Digital Collectibles Based on Photo Reports The state-owned Chinese news agency Xinhua is preparing to issue a digital collection representing photographic news reports from 2021. The selection of 11 photos, each limited to 10,000 copies, will be released on Dec. 24. They will be issued free of charge via Xinhua’s news app, using non-fungible token ( NFT ) technology, the agency announced, quoted by Bloomberg and Reuters. The collection, which also features a photo commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, will “imprint digital memories into the metaverse,” Xinhua noted. Euronews remarks that Beijing-controlled media has in the past described the virt

Press Release: Beyondlife ․ club and Orange Comet have joined forces to launch a special NFT collection dedicated to the legendary Marvel comics founder Stan Lee. 22nd December 2021, Singapore — Chakra The Invincible is a unique NFT collection and tribute to legend Stan Lee, that will launch on his 99th Birthday, (December 28th) on chakra.beyondlife.club . The collection includes an exclusive category dedicated to Stan Lee’s prominence as an artist and narrating the story behind, creating Chakra The Invincible. Beyondlife.club and Guardianlink ․ io , have associated with Orange Comet and Graphics India to curate a one-of-a-kind superhero NFT collection that signifies Stan Lee’s existence in the creative domain. Chakra The Invincible NFT Collection Stan Lee’s Chakra The Invincible was the first international superhero visualised by the comic legend, created in collaboration with Sharad Devaraj. The Chakra The Invincible NFT collection includes categories that highlight the chara

In advance of presenting its comprehensive view on crypto regulations, the Central Bank of Russia has indicated that it sees no place for cryptocurrencies in the country’s financial market. The monetary authority also announced that the prototype of the platform for its own digital currency is already completed. Bank of Russia to Issue Report on Cryptocurrency Known for maintaining a hardline stance on the question of legalizing cryptocurrencies, the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) is now preparing a report that will provide its view on the matter in detail. The regulator intends to push for adopting rules to govern the circulation of digital assets through legislative changes, Deputy Chairman Vladimir Chistyukhin revealed in comments to Russian media. “I think that we will resolve the issue through amendments to the legislation. There will be a more precise definition of how cryptocurrencies can be traded,” Chistyukhin said speaking to reporters in the State Duma, the lower house of

GSC Game World and Ubisoft, two game development companies, are dealing with backlash about the inclusion of NFT elements in some of their games. While GSC Game World — developer of the popular Stalker gaming franchise — has abandoned its plans in this regard, Ubisoft is pushing forward and has announced a partnership with Aleph.im to store images from its NFT platform. GSC Game World and Ubisoft Take Different Approaches Two game developers that recently announced the introduction of NFT elements as part of their upcoming and existing games are dealing with negative backlash from the gaming public on this issue. However, each one of them is doing it differently. GSC Game World, creators of the Stalker gaming franchise, based in Ukraine, stated that they would stop all plans regarding including NFT elements in Stalker 2, an upcoming game. The company released a statement on Twitter, declaring: We hear you. Based on the feedback we’ve received, we’ve made a decision to cancel anyt

PRESS RELEASE. Affyn’s private round was oversubscribed within a week of its website unveiling, resulting in the opening of a new strategic round that once again became oversubscribed, ahead of its presale in December 2021. Backed by more than 50 venture capitalists, institutional investors and partners, signaling high confidence and strong demand for Affyn’s Play-to-Earn Metaverse. The much anticipated presale round will be launched in December 2021 in preparation of the public launch in early 2022. Whitelisting is now open for registration on their website, www.affyn.com . SINGAPORE, Dec. 21, 2021 – Singapore startup Affyn, a blockchain-powered Metaverse project, is developing a Free-to-Play and Play-to-Earn mobile game with integrated geolocation and augmented reality (AR) capability. Reimagining Free-to-Play and Play-to-Earn As a metaverse-based project with geolocation capability and AR mechanics, Affyn incorporates the fun concept where every in-game character, which th

PRESS RELEASE. MaximNFT – an NFT marketplace by Maxim magazine and xSigma – is excited to announce that former professional boxer Vitali Klitschko is launching an NFT collection on its platform for charity. Proceeds will go to the Ukrainian branch of Rotary International, a non-profit organisation promoting humanitarian services across the world. Once a professional boxer, Vitali Klitschiko is now a Ukrainian politician serving as the Mayor of Kyiv. As a boxer, Kyiv won multiple heavyweight titles, including the WBO 1999-2000 title, the Ring Magazine 2004-2005 title, and WBC title twice from 2004 to 2013.He defeated 15 opponents in his title fights across his career, including 12 title defences. He and his brother dominated heavyweight boxing from 2006 to 2015, ushering in what is now called the “Klitschko era”. Meanwhile, Rotary International is an international service organisation that offers humanitarian assistance and promotes goodwill and peace around the world. It was f

Interest in cryptocurrencies has been growing in Russia, not least among non-qualified investors. According to recently quoted estimates, Russians have already put more than $67 billion into the crypto market, the capitalization of which has increased significantly this year. Russians Spent Some 5 Trillion Rubles on Crypto Russian residents have swapped 5 trillion of their national fiat (over $67.5 billion) with cryptocurrencies, a high-ranking member of the State Duma has revealed without indicating a time frame. Speaking during hearings at the lower house of the Russian parliament on Monday, head of the Financial Market Committee Anatoly Aksakov stated: According to some reports, 5 trillion rubles have already been invested by Russians in cryptocurrency. Bitcoin and the like are yet to be comprehensively regulated in Russia, where the law “On Digital Financial Assets,” which entered into force earlier this year, introduced some rules for only a few related activities — coin is

2021 is coming to an end and the new year is just around the corner. If you’ve ever considered getting a very unconventional, extremely trendy, and totally unforgettable Christmas gift for your loved ones, NFT artworks can be a great option. If you decide to buy one now, it will for sure be delivered before the holiday arrives. NFT Art: New Gold for Gen Z Investors and Art Lovers Whether NFT art is for Gen Z is still debatable, but we see that there are more and more Gen Z NFT art creators all around the world that have been quick to adopt the new technology, and even faster to monetize their artworks via blockchain. This even before many millennial institutional investors understood what NFTs were and why investing in the metaverse is important. NFT art is first and foremost — art. If you see the representation of the creator’s mind and find beauty in a piece, it has aesthetic value for your personal collection. And unlike traditional art that you mostly see in galleries, museums,

Established in 2016, Cash2Bitcoin.com is one of the largest and fastest-growing cryptocurrency ATM deployment services in the United States. Cash2Bitcoin.com manages over 1000 locations throughout the country and is rapidly expanding its reach in the market. Ayman Rida is the CEO of Cash2Bitcoin . He recently joined the Bitcoin.com News Podcast to talk about the business: Ayman Rida is a proud father, husband and graduate of the University of Michigan (finance). In 2016, Rida started Cash2Bitcoin.com as a way to provide service in the exciting, and rapidly changing, crypto space. With more than a decade in merchant card services and standard ATM services, Rida saw a wonderful opportunity in crypto — one that would serve a growing need, and one that would ultimately help grow his portfolio. Today, he is the CEO of one of the United States’ largest crypto kiosk deployers. To learn more about the company visit the website Cash2Bitcoin.com . The Bitcoin.com News podcast features i

Nonkumbulo Tshombe, an advocate with the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services (FAIS) Ombud, recently revealed that her office has noted a significant increase in the number of cryptocurrency-related complaints during the 2020/21 financial year. Cryptocurrency Not yet Regulated An advocate with the South African office of the financial services sector ombudsman, Nonkumbulo Tshombe, recently revealed that her organization has recorded a significant increase in the number of crypto-related complaints during the 2020/21 financial year. Despite receiving such complaints, Tshombe is quoted in a report by Moneyweb explaining that her organization could not entertain such inquiries because cryptocurrencies are not yet regulated. “Crypto-assets are not classified as a financial product, which means the product falls outside of this office’s jurisdiction,” explained the advocate. Although South Africa does not yet regulate cryptocurrencies, it has intervened or forced action to be

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has criticized the current state of the metaverse and the Web3 movement, suggesting the latter concept is a “marketing buzzword.” The crypto influencer also posted a video of David Letterman making fun of the early internet in an interview with Bill Gates, and wondered what the future will bring. Musk Skeptical About Current Web3 Movement CEO of Tesla and known crypto influencer Elon Musk has issued his take on the current state of Web3 and the metaverse movement. Musk is skeptical about the validity of the Web3 movement right now, saying he believes it “seems more marketing buzzword than reality right now.” Web3 and metaverse are terms that encompass a group of concepts including blockchain technologies, smart contracts, and decentralized economies whose aim is to create an alternative reality to the one we live in. This concept, which dates from a long time ago, was revived recently by Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook. Meta wants to help shap

“Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who sets the planets in motion.” – Isaac Newton The Future of the Mars4 Metaverse Will Be Set in Motion by Our Community With that in mind, please allow us to introduce you to one of our first community members and Mars4 investors, an Arab Sheikh, who decided to make a significant and early investment in our project with a purchase of the Super Rare NFT known as Newton – the very first Rare NFT sold on Mars4. This 300km wide southern crater, located in the Terra Sirenum, was named in 1973 after famed physicist Sir Isaac Newton. Everyday more and more people discover the potential of Mars4 NFTs as interactive investments. They are the key building blocks of the red planet metaverse, a world filled with bold in-game attributes that encourage collaboration and resource sharing among land owners and players! Today, we are thrilled to announce the first in a series of major reveals of the Mars4 project with an exclu

In 2021, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have been extremely popular and have become a billion-dollar industry this year. There’s been a number of NFT marketplaces and collections that have seen a massive number of sales and individual digital collectibles have sold for millions. The NFT hype has also caused significant demand for some of the earliest known NFT collections like Spells of Genesis cards, Curio cards, Bitcorn, Rare Pepe trading cards, and Fake Rares. Older Non-Fungible Token Collections See Fresh Demand Old non-fungible token (NFT) collections are seeing fresh demand after the NFT hype in 2021 exploded. Most people are unaware that NFTs have been around since roughly 2014 when someone created an NFT called OLGA . Following the creation of OLGA, the next year saw the birth of Spells of Genesis (SoG), Terra Nullius V2, Etheria v1.1, and Etheria v1.2. Since the 2021 NFT hype, SoG cards sell for a lot more than they did when the cards first launched. SoG cards are selling fo