Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

PRESS RELEASE. Mercuryo is an international fintech company based in London founded in 2018, focused on providing cryptocurrency payment solutions. The company’s cryptocurrency infrastructure provides global access to fast and cheap money transfers with a bank-level oversight and it’s mission is to reinvent the ease of making digital transactions. Features Of Mercuryo: Integrated Multicurrency Wallet: This feature is an inbuilt crypto on-ramp capability in a custodial multicurrency wallet that is engineered to let you purchase, trade, hold, and spend a wide variety of digital assets, easily exactly like you would with fiat currency. Crypto exchange from your Mercuryo account to any other wallet or blockchain address: Mercuryo wallet users may top up their cryptocurrency wallets by buying crypto through their website or transferring crypto from another wallet. By the same token, customers can also transfer crypto from their Mercuryo account to another account or blockchain addre...

The CEO of Southeast Asia’s largest bank, DBS, says cryptocurrency “can be an alternative to gold.” He added that regulating crypto “out of the formal banking system is an unwise thing to do.” DBS’ CEO on Cryptocurrency and Regulation DBS Bank Group CEO Piyush Gupta talked about cryptocurrency and its regulation at the recent Economic Times Global Business Summit. DBS is Southeast Asia’s largest bank by assets. The Economic Times quoted Gupta as saying: I don’t think that cryptocurrencies will become money as we know it, but it can be an alternative to gold and its value. “The other big challenge [of cryptocurrencies] is volatility in value. If you want to use this to pay for something, you don’t know what it’s costing you,” he elaborated. “Today cryptos are a potential source of speculated value, it’s unlikely that this is a source of money as we know it.” The executive said that central banks across the world should consider bringing cryptocurrency into the regulated space. H...

The European Central Bank (ECB) warns cryptocurrencies are being used to evade sanctions by Russians. ECB President Christine Lagarde warns crypto firms against becoming “accomplices” in the crime. ECB President Lagarde Is Certain About Crypto Being Used to Evade Russian Sanctions Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank (ECB), said Tuesday at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Summit that cryptocurrencies are “certainly” being used by Russian firms and individuals to bypass sanctions. A growing number of countries have levied heavy sanctions against Russian entities after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine . Expressing concerns over crypto’s continued use, the ECB chief said: They are certainly being used as a way to try to circumvent the sanctions that have been decided by many countries around the world against Russia. “A specific number of players, either individuals or corporates, are obviously trying to convert their rubles into cry...

The U.K.’s advertising authority has sent an enforcement notice to more than 50 companies that advertise cryptocurrencies. “We will monitor for compliance and implement sanctions if we do not see improvements,” said the regulator. British Advertising Regulator’s ‘Red Alert’ Priority Issue The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the country’s regulator of advertising, announced Tuesday: We have issued an enforcement notice to over 50 companies which advertise cryptocurrencies, instructing them to review their ads and to ensure they understand and are complying with the rules so that consumers are treated fairly. “The enforcement notice provides guidance to the crypto industry on how to stick to the rules and warns that we will monitor for compliance and implement sanctions if we do not see improvements,” the ASA added. “The notice applies to ads for cryptocurrencies, crypto exchanges and ads or promotions which otherwise involve the transfer, sale or supply of cryptocurr...

An account blockade that happened more than five months ago due to money laundering issues has prompted some Colombian users of Binance to commence legal action against the exchange in the country. According to reports the funds blocked exceed $1 million, and after an investigation from the FIOD, the Netherlands’ anti-money laundering watchdog, the funds were linked to financial crimes. Binance Account Blockage Prompts Legal Action in Colombia Binance is facing legal issues in Colombia after blocking the accounts of a group of citizens whose activities were allegedly linked to a money-laundering investigation from the FIOD, the Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service of the Netherlands. According to reports , the value of the cryptocurrency blocked in these accounts totals more than $1 million, with users being unable to move the funds since five months ago. Some users noted they’ve been victims of a seizure of funds, like Jairo Velez, who stated: I have been blocked since...

On Monday, Tommy Hilfiger has announced the company is joining the inaugural Decentraland Metaverse Fashion Week from March 24th to March 27th, 2022. During the Metaverse Fashion Week, the American fashion design firm said it will showcase its Spring 2022 collections and provide consumers with a “digital retail platform” that features Tommy Hilfiger-crafted NFTs. American Fashion Designer Tommy Hilfiger Is ‘Inspired by the Power of Digital Technology’ At the end of February, Decentraland, the virtual blockchain metaverse, announced the project’s first Metaverse Fashion Week (MFW) would take place this year. Additionally, Decentraland mentioned that visitors would see appearances by Dolce & Gabbana, Selfridges, Jacob & Co, Franck Muller, Garrett Leight, Cavalli, and The Fabricant. It was also noted at the time that the American fashion design firm Tommy Hilfiger would be in attendance. On March 21, Tommy Hilfiger explained that joining the Decentraland MFW represents the “b...

Nepalese actress and model Priyanka Karki is being questioned by the police after her picture was found in promotional material for a cryptocurrency scheme. “The investigation is still underway. We are trying to find out if the actress is involved in the crypto trading promotion or only her picture was used,” said the police. Actress Priyanka Karki Questioned in Connection With a Cryptocurrency Scheme Nepalese actress and model Priyanka Karki has been questioned by Nepal’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with a cryptocurrency scheme. The CBI brought Karki in for questioning after they found a cryptocurrency ad with her picture on Facebook. The CBI released her on bail Sunday. However, the police said that the investigation is not yet completed and seized her mobile phone for investigation, according to local media. CBI Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Dhiraj Pratap Singh explained, “The bureau began an investigation after seeing cryptocurrency promotional content...

PRESS RELEASE. Nestree is a blockchain-based community messenger that is incentivized in nature. It is also a messaging platform that specializes in the development and revival of diverse communities by exposing them to blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. In 2022, Nestree will deploy an NFT Aggregator Service (Beta). Nestree has evolved into a specialist platform for NFTs, a fast developing asset class. Moreover, by connecting with multiple worldwide platforms, the team hopes to increase the utility value of the EGG token. Understanding NFT Aggregators Several NFT markets have recently emerged throughout the world. This has resulted in knowledge asymmetry and fragmentation, particularly in relation to NFTs. Thus far, the world has seen a tremendous quantity of knowledge and cash come into the NFT sector, but we’ve also seen an equal amount of bogus and malevolent information flood in. In fact, the greatest crypto fraud case (worth approximately $4 million USD), happened ...

India’s ministry of finance has clarified in parliament how the government plans to tax cryptocurrency transactions. A proposed new section to the Income Tax Act states that gains from crypto transactions will be taxed at 30% while losses cannot be deducted. Indian Government Reveals Taxation Plan The Indian ministry of finance answered some questions Monday in Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament, regarding how cryptocurrency transactions will be taxed going forward. Minister Pankaj Chaudhary, the minister of state in the ministry of finance, explained that The Financial Bill 2022 has proposed to insert section 115BBH to the Income Tax Act 1961 to provide for the taxation of income from transfers of virtual digital assets (VDAs). He stated: As per the proposed section, any income from transfer of VDA shall be taxed at the rate of 30%. “Further, while computing the income from transfer of VDA, no deduction in respect of any expenditure (other than cost of acquisition) or al...

Flexid Technologies, a blockchain startup promoting the use of digital identities, said its solution was recently used by thousands of Zimbabwean households and patients that participated in a local health survey study. Using Technology to Drive Down the Cost of Healthcare A blockchain startup, Flexid Technologies, revealed it recently made its digital identity solution available to 15,000 households and 50,000 patients that took part in a Zimbabwean baseline survey. The survey was conducted between 2021 and early 2022 by a local healthcare provider, Ubuntu Clinic. In his remarks published by Techzim following the release of the study findings, Flexid Technologies CEO and co-founder, Victor Mapunga explained why his company decided to be a part of the survey. He explained: We believe that harnessing the power of technology in the healthcare sector is paramount in driving cost down and most importantly improving patient outcomes. Mapunga also suggested the survey findings would...

With a war raging in their homeland, thousands of Ukrainians, including many involved in the crypto space, have chosen Portugal as their new home. The country is an attractive destination, not only because of its warmer climate but also its relatively affordable cost of living and crypto-friendly tax regime. Portugal Attracts Crypto Talent and Business From War-Torn Ukraine The Russian invasion of Ukraine has sent millions of refugees fleeing to other European nations and Portugal is no exception. Despite the great distance from the conflict zone, the country has already accepted 13,000 refugees in the past weeks after the authorities in Lisbon simplified the arrival procedures for Ukrainians. Those among them who had been working in Ukraine’s growing crypto industry are likely to find it easier to settle down in Portugal than in other countries on the Old Continent, BNN Bloomberg noted in a report. Much like Ukraine before the war, this EU member state is becoming a cryptocurrenc...

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has informed the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) that it is committed to ceasing opening new accounts for Ontario residents and winding down certain services to comply with regulations. Binance Promises to Increase Efforts to Comply With Regulation Cryptocurrency exchange Binance sent a letter to the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) Wednesday. In the letter, Binance listed a few commitments to the OSC, including “ceasing opening new Ontario accounts,” “ceasing trading in existing Ontario accounts, with exceptions to protect investors, along with winding down its businesses in certain products,” and “providing fee waivers and offering fee reimbursement to certain Ontario users.” In addition, Binance will also make reports to OSC staff and retain an independent third party to ensure the effectiveness of its efforts to implement its commitments. Binance decided to withdraw its services from Ontario in June 2021. The exchange told Ontario users...

PRESS RELEASE. MV/USDT pair will be listed on Gate.io, a leading Cryptocurrency exchange, on March 23, 2022 at 11:00AM (UTC).. The Gensokishi Online Project is a GameFi and metaverse incarnation of the award winning Nintendo Switch/PS4 game “Elemental Knights’. It has set numerous records since releasing its website and various social networking sites on December 2, 2021. The community has grown to over 230k members since its release. Gensokish Online Project’s token MV(Metaverse) is also ranked second in most held tokens out of all 1,000+ tokens built on Polygon, indicating the high expectations for The Gensokishi Online Project. Gate.io Gate.io is one of the leading Cryptocurrency exchanges established in China, founded in 2013. Operating under the direction of Gate Technology Inc., the company provides centralized and decentralized systems for comprehensive protection of user funds, while offering trading and instant deposit and withdrawal services based on state-of-the-art...

Prince Philip of Serbia and Yugoslavia says that bitcoin is freedom. Noting that “we need to take the money away from the state,” the prince stressed: “We need to have hard money again. We need to have good quality money that’s not subject to inflation.” Prince Philip of Serbia Praises Bitcoin Prince Philip of Serbia and Yugoslavia recently talked about bitcoin on a Serbian TV show hosted by Ivan Ivanović. Prince Philip, a member of the House of Karađorđević, is the second son of the last crown prince of the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia. He is the fraternal twin of Prince Alexander and the second-in-line to the throne after Prince Peter. Prince Philip is currently working with a global asset manager in London, according to the Royal Family of Serbia’s website. “I work in finance,” he confirmed on the TV show. “I work in asset management for an international finance company. The head office is in New York but has a big office in London. I’m an analyst. I love to analyze the world.”...

The president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, James Bullard, has called for more aggressive measures to combat inflation and reduce the size of the Fed’s balance sheet. “The burden of excessive inflation is particularly heavy for people with modest incomes and wealth and for those with limited ability to adjust to a rising cost of living,” he stressed. Fed’s Bullard Pushes for More Aggressive Rate Hikes to Better Manage Economic Situation St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President James Bullard issued a statement Friday regarding his dissenting vote at last week’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. At the meeting, the FOMC decided to “raise the target range for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to 0.25% – 0.50%,” Bullard explained, adding: In my view, raising the target range to 0.50% – 0.75% and implementing a plan for reducing the size of the Fed’s balance sheet would have been more appropriate actions. Bullard is an economist who has been the pres...

A call to make the digital ruble a reserve currency has been issued in the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament. Meanwhile, concerns have been raised in the West that the new incarnation of the Russian fiat may be employed to evade sanctions that have been isolating the country. Digital Ruble to Serve as Reserve Currency, Lawmaker Suggests In the face of mounting Western penalties, officials in Moscow have been mulling over ways to circumvent restrictions that have already limited Russia’s access to its foreign reserves and the global financial market. Sergei Mironov, who leads the opposition ‘A Just Russia’ faction in the Duma, urged the federal government, the central bank, and the operational headquarters on countering sanctions to introduce the digital ruble, Russian media and Forklog reported. The high-ranking parliamentarian has been quoted as saying that the goal of the initiative is to issue the central bank digital currency ( CBDC ) for specific purposes lik...

Metametaverse, a company whose purpose is the integration and interoperation of different metaverses, has already secured funding of $2 million for this idea. Joel Dietz, the founding father of this initiative and also from the uber-popular wallet Metamask, has stated this task might be achieved by building a common pool of assets and experiences through a Level 1 blockchain like Ethereum or Bitcoin. The Metaverse Interoperability Question The idea of the Metaverse linked to digital experiences and token economies is relatively new, and just now hundreds of companies are building their own version of the metaverse. Be it a work-related environment, or a gaming-focused world, all of these metaverses have their place as an application of the technology. Metametaverse, a company founded by Joel Dietz, one of the founder architects of Metamask , wants to provide a tool to make all these metaverses interoperable and available for users to enjoy. For this task, Metametaverse proposes a L...

Since the token was launched roughly three days ago, the digital currency apecoin (APE) has been a topical conversation within the cryptocurrency community on forums and social media. So far, just over 82% of the claimable APE has been claimed and 13,672 unique addresses have received APE from the airdrop. Meanwhile, the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) creators have shared a video showing a BAYC metaverse with an assortment of other popular non-fungible token (NFT) characters. Eligible Claimants Ape Into the Apecoin Airdrop, More Than 82% of Claimable APE Has Been Acquired This week, there’s been a lot of focus on a new crypto asset called apecoin (APE) as it was introduced on March 17, 2022, by the Apecoin DAO. Bitcoin.com News reported on the Apecoin DAO and explained how millions of apecoin tokens were airdropped to NFT owners. More specifically, Apecoin DAO disclosed that “15% of the total supply of apecoin will be made available to [ Bored Ape Yacht Club ] NFT holders (Bored Apes...

PRESS RELEASE. INTERNET CITY, DUBAI, Mar. 20th, 2022 – LBank Exchange, a global digital asset trading platform, will list Litedex (LDX) on March 23, 2022. For all users of LBank Exchange, the LDX/ USDT trading pair will be officially available for trading at 16:00 (UTC+8) on March 23, 2022. Decentralized Exchange (DEX) Protocol is a blockchain-based financial system designed to provide an open financial service that is transparent without intermediaries, permissions and available to everyone without a centralized authority. As a decentralized exchange protocol, Litedex (LDX) aims to adopt the world’s most popular blockchains including BSC, ETH , HECO, Polygon, Tron, Polkadot, and Solana, providing products and services such as Swap, Staking, Farming, Analytics, Lending, Borrowing, NFT, and Bridge. Its native token LDX will be listed on LBank Exchange at 16:00 (UTC+8) on March 23, 2022, to further expand its global reach and help it achieve its vision. Introducing Litedex Protocol ...

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has filed a lawsuit against Meta, formerly Facebook, for “publishing scam advertisements featuring prominent Australian public figures.” The regulator said, “The essence of our case is that Meta is responsible for these ads that it publishes on its platform.” Meta Sued for Publishing Cryptocurrency Scam Ads The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) announced Friday that it has taken legal action against Meta Platforms Inc. (formerly Facebook) and Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd. Australia’s competition regulator alleges that the companies “engaged in false, misleading or deceptive conduct by publishing scam advertisements featuring prominent Australian public figures” on Facebook. The ACCC alleges Meta’s conduct “was in breach of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) or the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act (ASIC Act).” In addition, the regulator noted: It is also alleged that Meta aided and abetted o...

Former U.S. Congressman Ron Paul says he still believes that the government could outlaw bitcoin mainly because he is “influenced a whole lot by history and the gold history.” Despite his warning, Paul stressed that crypto “should be obviously permitted.” Ron Paul Discusses Bitcoin as Interest in Crypto Rises Former presidential candidate Ron Paul discussed the future of bitcoin and the economic impact of the Russia-Ukraine war in an interview with Kitco news’ Michelle Makori Thursday. Paul is an American author, physician, and retired politician. The former representative from Texas launched The Ron Paul Liberty Report in 2015 to bring “provocative opinion and analysis to the breaking issues affecting our lives and finances,” its website details. The former congressman has repeatedly warned that the government could crack down on bitcoin. “My concern is that governments over centuries have been notoriously very eager to have control of the money. Believe me, they will not give up...

A class-action lawsuit has been filed against the Nasdaq-listed cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase alleging that the platform lets customers trade 79 cryptocurrencies that are unregistered securities, including XRP , dogecoin (DOGE), and shiba inu (SHIB). Lawsuit Claims Coinbase Sold 79 Unregistered Crypto Securities to Customers A class-action lawsuit was filed last week against Coinbase Global Inc., Coinbase Inc., and CEO Brian Armstrong. Lead plaintiffs and Coinbase users Christopher Underwood, Louis Oberlander, and Henry Rodriguez allege that from Oct. 8, 2019, to the present, Coinbase let customers buy and sell 79 different cryptocurrencies without disclosing that they are in fact securities. The plaintiffs added that these crypto securities are not registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or any state regulators, and Coinbase is not registered as a securities exchange or a broker-dealer. The plaintiffs claim that “Coinbase’s sale of these tokens viola...

U.S. Congressman Pete Sessions says bitcoin is aligned with American values and will strengthen the U.S. dollar. The lawmaker further noted that the cryptocurrency “is trending to be a more resilient alternative option to hedge against fiat-currency inflation.” Rep. Pete Sessions Sees Merit in Bitcoin U.S. Representative Pete Sessions tweeted about bitcoin several times this week. Sessions represents Texas’ 17th Congressional District and has served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 11 terms. On Friday, he wrote that bitcoin is aligned with American values and will strengthen the U.S. dollar. Many Twitter users replied to the lawmaker expressing a wide range of opinions. Some agreed with him about BTC being aligned with American values but disagreed that the cryptocurrency will strengthen the U.S. dollar. The Chamber of Digital Commerce replied to Sessions: “Thank you for your leadership and support … We couldn’t agree more!” Blockchain Investment Group founder Eric Weis...

On Friday, Universal Music Group’s Web3 label dubbed 10:22PM revealed it purchased the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) non-fungible token (NFT) #5537 for more than $360,000. 10:22PM says that BAYC #5537 will become the female manager for the first-ever metaverse group. UMG’s 10:22PM Acquires Bored Ape #5537 for 125 Ether Universal Music Group (UMG) and the firm’s Web3 label 10:22PM explained on Friday that the metaverse group called KINGSHIP now has a new manager. 10:22PM acquired the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFT #5537 for more than $360,000 or 125 ETH at the time of settlement . In addition to being identified as Bored Ape #5537, the Web3 label noted that the female character will be KINGSHIP’s manager and will be called “Manager Noët All.” UMG revealed the Web3 label 10:22PM and the KINGSHIP group in mid-November 2021. Interestingly, on the same day, the hit record producer professionally known as Timbaland announced the launch of a BAYC entertainment label called Ape-In Produ...