Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

An Indian parliament member has warned that imposing a 1% tax deducted at source (TDS) on every crypto transaction will kill the nascent asset class. This tax provision is contained in Finance Bill 2022 which Lok Sabha, the lower house of India’s parliament, has passed. However, India’s finance minister insists that the TDS on crypto transactions is for tracking purposes. Parliament Member Raises Concerns Over 1% TDS on Crypto Transactions Lok Sabha, India’s lower house of parliament, passed Finance Bill 2022 Friday which includes a proposal to tax crypto income at 30% and impose a 1% tax deducted at source (TDS) on every crypto transaction. The 1% TDS will go into effect on July 1 while the 30% income tax will start levying on April 1. Parliament member Ritesh Pandey raised concerns regarding the 1% TDS on crypto transactions. He explained in Lok Sabha how this tax will kill the crypto industry. For example, he said that if a user buys crypto, then transfers the coins to a wallet

PRESS RELEASE. At the Dubai Crypto Expo that happened between March 16 and 17, 2022, the NoVa Battles team led by CEO Lucian joyfully received the prestigious title of “Best Crypto Game 2022” in Dubai. The NoVa Battles ecosystem is designed to reward its community members in multiple ways for their time and effort. In addition to incorporating their own NFTs and Crypto Token, more blockchain technology is planned for the NoVa Battle system such as digital real estate, subdivisions of the game ecosystem, and Metaverse, complete player customization of virtual assets, which will create a truly unique and decentralized virtual environment. All of these factors and even more were responsible for its victory at Crypto Expo Dubai 2022 as a prize winner in the category of “The Best Crypto Game” . Keep reading to learn more about NoVa Battles and how it won the best crypto game at the Expo. What is NoVa Battles? Nova Battles is a mobile multiplayer online arena game powered by Ethereum

Two U.S. senators are working on a bipartisan, broad-based regulatory framework for cryptocurrency. “The work we’re doing is going to be a very complex and intensive review of the different aspects of this industry,” said one of the senators. US Senators to Introduce Comprehensive Framework to Regulate Crypto Industry U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) are working together on “a broad-based regulatory framework” for how the crypto industry should be regulated, they explained Thursday at a Politico Live event. Senator Gillibrand described: The work we’re doing is going to be a very complex and intensive review of the different aspects of this industry. “Some will be regulated under the CFTC [Commodity Futures Trading Commission], some parts will be regulated under the SEC [Securities and Exchange Commission], some we will need to look at more broadly and we intend to have a regulatory commission that can look at these issues of first impressio

Tesla and Spacex CEO Elon Musk says that he is “giving serious thought to” creating a new social media platform with free speech as a top priority. “Given that Twitter serves as the de facto public town square, failing to adhere to free speech principles fundamentally undermines democracy,” the Tesla billionaire said. Elon Musk Considers Building New Social Media Platform, Says Free Speech Is Essential to Democracy The CEO of Tesla and Spacex, Elon Musk, has been discussing the need for a new social media platform on Twitter over the past couple of days. He has recently become more critical of Twitter and its policies, claiming that the social media platform is undermining democracy by failing to adhere to free speech principles. Replying to a question about whether he would consider building a new social media platform with an open source algorithm, where free speech is given top priority and propaganda is minimized, Musk replied: “Am giving serious thought to this.” The discuss

The crypto economy has managed to remain above the $2 trillion mark during the last five days since March 22. Currently, the global cryptocurrency market capitalization is 1.3% higher during the last 24 hours, as the valuation stands at $2.1 trillion today. Furthermore, the price of bitcoin jumped over the $46K zone on Sunday as well capturing an $870 billion market cap. Digital Assets Gain This Week, Bitcoin Cracks $46K, TVL in Defi Holds Above $200 Billion Digital currencies have gained in value during the last seven days and for five consecutive days, the crypto economy’s total value has held above $2 trillion. The last time the crypto economy was above the $2 trillion zone was during the first week of March. During the last seven days, bitcoin (BTC) increased by 8.9% and ethereum ( ETH ) gained 8.5% against the U.S. dollar. Out of the top ten largest crypto market caps, cardano ( ADA ) saw the biggest seven-day gain with ​​26.5% this week. The 13,421 crypto assets traded on 5

El Corte Ingles, one of the biggest retailers and distributors in Spain, has taken its first step into the cryptocurrency world. The company is reportedly launching its own cryptocurrency exchange for customers of its stores. The firm has enrolled the help of Deloitte to build a new platform that will allow its customers to access cryptocurrencies as investments. El Corte Ingles Goes Crypto El Corte Ingles, the third-biggest retailer and distribution company in Spain, is reportedly launching its own cryptocurrency exchange. The goal is reportedly to take advantage of its current customer portfolio, having an already established target regarding investors. The customers of El Corte Ingles are small savers that the company feels could be intrigued about investing in cryptocurrencies through a known company, instead of turning to other, newer brands. The company has partnered with Deloitte , one of the Big Four firms, to help create a platform to serve the more than 11 million custo

Koinly is a tax solution for cryptocurrency investors and accountants. Anyone who owns multiple exchange accounts or wallets knows the pains when it comes to declaring taxes. Koinly was built to solve this very problem – by integrating with all major blockchains and exchanges Koinly reduces crypto tax reporting to a few minutes of work. Robin Singh is the Founder of Koinly . He recently joined the Bitcoin.com News Podcast to talk about the challenges crypto users face with regards to taxes in 2022: Koinly currently supports USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Sweden, Norway, Ireland and 20+ other countries – check out the website for the full list and use the code Bitcoin20 to get a 20% discount. The Bitcoin.com News podcast features interviews with the most interesting leaders, founders and investors in the world of Cryptocurrency, Decentralized Finance (DeFi), NFTs and the Metaverse. Follow us on iTunes , Spotify and Google Play . This is a sponsored podcast. Learn how to reach o

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and the Russian Ministry of Economic Development have backed efforts to regulate cryptocurrencies and integrate them into the country’s economy. The support comes amid mounting sanctions over the war in Ukraine which restrict Russia’s access to global finances. Finance Ministry’s Push to Legalize Russian Crypto Space Gains Traction Russian authorities are moving towards the adoption of a comprehensive legal framework for cryptocurrencies, despite the central bank’s persisting opposition. The Finance Ministry’s approach, which favors legalization, has been winning support from other government institutions and officials, even more so now as Russia faces unprecedented sanctions, including financial restrictions. In early February, the federal government announced its approval of Minfin’s regulatory concept. Then the ministry submitted a new draft law “On Digital Currency” aiming to fill the regulatory gaps remaining after the enforcement of the law

At the Avalanche Summit in Barcelona, the Canadian musician and record producer Grimes announced she plans to launch an “intergalactic children’s metaverse book.” Grimes’ children’s metaverse book project is part of a $100 million initiative started by the Avalanche Foundation and the non-fungible token (NFT) launchpad OP3N. Grimes Partners With OP3N to Launch ‘a Series of Educational Art for Babies and Small Children’ on Avalanche On March 22-27th, at the Avalanche Summit at Poble Espanyol in Barcelona, the NFT launchpad OP3N and the Avalanche Foundation announced a $100 million initiative dedicated to Web3 entertainment called Culture Catalyst. Ava Labs president John Wu said that Culture Catalyst will bolster Web3 entertainment apps on the Avalanche network. “The Avalanche Foundation’s Culture Catalyst Initiative with OP3N marks a watershed moment for entertainment and pop culture applications on Avalanche,” Wu explained. “Users can expect the already robust Avalanche NFT scene

PRESS RELEASE. Finally, Rigel Protocol is ready to join the NFTs Buzz with its first NFTs Collections for each unique DApp on the platform ( SmartSwap , GiftDApp and LaunchPad ). NFTs would be available for purchase at the Rigel Protocol NFT Marketplace or will be claimable on Rigel Protocol DApps after NFTs Sales are completed. All you need to know about Our NFTs Collections The Rigel Protocol Collections will be unlike most NFTs we see ongoing in the Defi ecosystem. As NFTs are not going to be just minted and worthless images put out there for you to hold, whilst just keeping them shining in your wallets. The Rigel Protocol NFTs are going to be backed by Proof of work with massive use cases built around them, thus giving them notable value. The NFT Launch will start off with the main NFTs versions on the SmartSwap , GiftDApp and LaunchPad applications on both Binance Smart Chain and the Polygon Networks as preferred by our active community. SmartSwap NFT Collection First N

Israel’s second-largest bank, Leumi, is launching a cryptocurrency trading service to allow customers of its digital investment platform to trade cryptocurrencies. “The service will allow Pepper Invest customers to buy, hold, and sell cryptocurrencies.” Major Israeli Bank Launching Crypto Trading Service Pepper Invest, the digital investment platform of Pepper by Leumi (TASE: LUMI), announced Friday the upcoming launch of its cryptocurrency trading service. “Pepper will be the first banking platform in Israel … to allow its customers to trade cryptocurrencies, in an attractive pricing model,” the announcement details, adding that the service will also become accessible to other Bank Leumi customers in the near future. The new service is a collaboration between Leumi Group and Paxos, a regulated U.S. blockchain infrastructure platform. The announcement adds that upon completion of the regulatory approvals required: The service will allow Pepper Invest customers to buy, hold and s

Bitcoin and ethereum began the weekend trading close to key resistance levels, as crypto markets continued to sustain recent gains. Overall, the global cryptocurrency market cap was marginally higher on Saturday, as traders prepared for this weekend’s session. Bitcoin BTC is currently trading 6% higher than at the beginning of the week, this coming as prices rallied to multi-week highs. On Saturday, BTC /USD hovered marginally below its resistance of $45,050, as prices rose to an intraday high of $44,999.49. Following four consecutive days of gains, today’s consolidation sees bulls identifying the current area of uncertainty, and wondering whether to sustain pressure or secure earlier gains. BTC has not truly traded above the current resistance level since December 29, when prices were falling from a then high of $52,198. Looking at the chart, the 14-day RSI indicator has marginally moved beyond its own resistance of 62.10, which is a slight positive for bulls. However, the p

A new cryptocurrency-related survey presented by Sherlock Communications highlights the growth that Latam countries are expected to experience this year, due to the particular traits the region has compared to other areas of the world. The results of the survey make projections that see crypto adoption growing by triple digits in some countries like Argentina and Brazil. Survey Indicates Crypto Will Thrive in Latam This Year A new survey commissioned by Sherlock Communications presents a very healthy panorama for the future of cryptocurrencies in Latin America. The report prepared by the PR company indicates that countries like Argentina and Brazil will experience big gains when it comes to cryptocurrency adoption. For example, in Argentina, the number of people buying cryptocurrencies is expected to more than triple, going from 5.55% to 18.4%, growing by 235%. But this is not just limited to Argentina. The optimistic projection is replicated in all countries of the region. Arge

Krafton, the company behind the development of the blockbuster videogame PUBG, has announced a partnership with Solana Labs with the objective of building its blockchain game offering. The new business plan of the company includes the creation of token economies to power play-to-earn (P2E) experiences to build its own Web3 offerings. Krafton Chooses Solana to Build Its Web3 Games Krafton, one of the biggest Korean game development companies, has proceeded with yet another stage in its recent pivot to blockchain gaming. The creators of the successful multiplayer game PUBG have announced a new partnership with Solana Labs, the developers and maintainers of the Solana blockchain, to power its own tailored Web3 experiences. The deal between Krafton and Solana Labs involves a “long-term cooperative relationship for the development and operation of blockchain- and NFT-based games and services.” This means that the two companies have agreed to cooperate in the establishment of joint busi

The Italian luxury brand Michele Franzese Moda has announced the firm is accepting crypto assets for payments. The company revealed the decision via Michele Franzese Moda’s online magazine in an article called “Its Time for Crypto.” Italian luxury Brand Michele Franzese Moda Says ‘Its Time for Crypto’ According to the company’s fashion news blog, Michele Franzese Moda will accept bitcoin (BTC) and a number of other crypto assets for items stemming from the luxury catalog. The announcement post says that it’s time for the luxury brand to accept crypto and going forward e-commerce and Android shoppers will be able to pay with digital currencies. Currently, Michele Franzese Moda will accept payments in bitcoin (BTC) , bitcoin cash (BCH) , bitcoinsv ( BSV ), cardano ( ADA ), dogecoin (DOGE), ethereum ( ETH ), voyager token (VGX), solana (SOL), polkadot (DOT), litecoin ( LTC ) and a number of other crypto tokens. The announcement claims that “Michele Franzese Moda is the first majo

PRESS RELEASE. Singapore, Singapore / Mar 26, 2022 / — APENFT Marketplace aims to lower the entry barrier for users through a new NFT market and build new forces in the TRON community by issuing exclusive Genesis NFT badges live on March 31. As an essential art foundation in the TRON ecosystem, APENFT’s goal is to achieve cross-field collection worldwide and provide a bridge for top traditional artists to make inroads into the NFT market. It’s backed by the TRON network’s underlying technology with support from the world’s most extensive distributed storage system, BitTorrent File System (BTFS) , to provide secure, reliable, efficient, and decentralized services to NFT art lovers across the globe. Like how blockchain democratizes finance, APENFT turns prominent art pieces into NFTs. It upgrades the way artworks are hosted and transforms them from elite-exclusive items to something that truly belongs to the people. APENFT believes in art for everyone. The Genesis NFT badge is an e

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged two people allegedly behind a million-dollar non-fungible token (NFT) “rug pull” scheme. They abandoned the NFT project within hours after selling out, deactivated the website, and transferred over $1 million in crypto to the wallets they controlled, the justice department explained. NFT Purchasers Defrauded in a Rug Pull Scam The U.S. Justice Department announced Thursday that two 20-year-olds have been charged in a “non-fungible token (NFT) fraud and money-laundering scheme.” The defendants, Ethan Nguyen and Andre Llacuna, allegedly defrauded purchasers of NFTs advertised as “Frosties.” According to the DOJ, on or about Jan. 9, the defendants “abandoned the Frosties NFT project within hours after selling out of Frosties NFTs, deactivated the Frosties website, and transferred approximately $1.1 million in cryptocurrency proceeds from the scheme to various cryptocurrency wallets under their control in multiple transactions designed t

Malaysia’s deputy finance minister has clarified that the government will not adopt cryptocurrency as legal tender. “Cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are not suitable for use as a payment instrument due to various limitations,” he said. Bitcoin Will Not Be Legal Tender in Malaysia, Says Deputy Finance Minister Following reports that a high-ranking government official has proposed adopting cryptocurrency as legal tender in Malaysia, the government clarified in parliament Thursday that it has no intention of making cryptocurrency legal tender in the country, Bloomberg reported. Deputy Finance Minister Mohd Shahar Abdullah said in parliament: Cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are not suitable for use as a payment instrument due to various limitations. He named price swings and exposure to cyber threats as examples of the limitations of cryptocurrencies. His statement echoes another he made earlier this month about cryptocurrency. “Digital assets, such as bitcoin and ethereum, are not su

A Nevada man has admitted his role in laundering funds solicited for the Bitclub Network, a $722 million fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme. He also pleaded guilty to tax offenses. Bitclub Network Investor Pleads Guilty The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Thursday that Gordon Brad Beckstead, a 57-year-old from Henderson, Nevada, has pleaded guilty in connection with the Bitclub Network fraud. The announcement details: A Nevada man today admitted his role in laundering funds solicited for Bitclub Network, a $722 million fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme. The DOJ explained that the Bitclub Network was a fraudulent scheme that ran from April 2014 through December 2019. Its creator and operator, Matthew Brent Goettsche, was indicted in December 2019. Silviu Catalin Balaci, Russ Albert Medlin, Jobadiah Sinclair Weeks, and Joseph Frank Abel were also indicted at the same time in connection with the scheme. The fraudsters “solicited money from investors in exchange for shares

The Kenyan central bank governor has once again told Kenyans to be wary of the risks that are associated with cryptocurrency transactions and trading. The governor also warned financial institutions supporting cryptocurrency transactions that they risk losing their licenses. Crypto Trading Beneficial to a Few The governor of the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), Patrick Njoroge, has reiterated that his institution still opposes cryptocurrency transactions. The governor also suggested that Kenyan citizens must always be wary of investing in highly volatile asset classes such as cryptocurrencies. In remarks published by the East African newspaper, Njoroge — who was addressing Kenyans that attended the World Consumer Rights Celebration Day — suggested that investing in cryptocurrencies is only beneficial to a few people. He explained: There are people who are excited about cryptocurrencies because they see it as a sort of investment that they can win big because prices are going up quic

On March 23, Honduras’ central bank issued a clarification on crypto assets such as bitcoin, and noted that digital currencies are not legal tender or regulated in the country. The announcement, posted via Honduras’ central bank official Twitter account, comes after lots of speculation about the Honduran president, Xiomara Castro, allegedly going to declare bitcoin legal tender in the country. Despite Rumors, Honduras’ Central Bank Says Bitcoin and Crypto Assets Are Not Legal Tender in the Country In recent times, there’s been a lot of rumors that claimed the 56th president of Honduras Xiomara Castro may legalize bitcoin in Honduras. Some reports even noted that an announcement may come from Honduras’ government this week or “ the coming days .” However, on March 23, the central bank of Honduras put the rumors to rest, as the bank’s statement notes that crypto assets are neither legal tender nor regulated in Honduras. “Bitcoin is a financial asset that exists virtually (also

Exxon Mobil Corporation is reportedly participating in a pilot program that leverages excess natural gas to power crypto mining machines, according to a recent report quoting people familiar with the matter. The report states that the oil giant is partnered with the firm Crusoe Energy Systems, and the pilot is purportedly taking place in North Dakota at the Bakken shale basin. Unnamed Sources Say Exxon Is Piloting a Bitcoin Mining Operation in North Dakota Using Flare Gas On March 24, Bloomberg author Naureen S Malik reported that the largest American oil and gas corporation Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM ) is participating in piloting a bitcoin mining project with excess gas. Malik wrote that “people familiar with the matter” told Bloomberg that they could not be named because the information is not public. However, the people who asked to not be named said that currently, Exxon Mobil is working with Crusoe Energy Solutions in the state of North Dakota. Crusoe Energy is a firm that prov

PRESS RELEASE. MetaGods , the world’s first play-to-earn 8-bit action role-playing game built on the blockchain, introduced an upcoming in-game land sale with a group of amazing backers involved, including world-famous Youtuber MrBeast. MetaGods is a game based on Greek mythology where players fight against gods as they ascend through the virtual world. Gameplay requires players to acquire unique characters through NFTs to increase their chances of winning battles and earning rewards. MetaGods players can also team up and fight epic bosses on their path to becoming gods. The blockchain-based role-playing game (RPG) uses two tokens – $MGOD and $RELIC – powering the entire MetaGods ecosystem. Players use $MGOD as the platform’s governance token, and also to participate in special in-game events. On the other hand, $RELIC is a token players earn through gameplay, usable for purchases in the MetaGods marketplace. Lands in the MetaGods Game Players can use either $MGOD or $ BNB to acq

Meta Inc., formerly Facebook, has filed eight trademark applications relating to a wide range of crypto services and the metaverse. They include cryptocurrencies, crypto trading, blockchain software, crypto wallets, and crypto exchanges. Meta’s Trademark Filings Cover a Range of Crypto Services and the Metaverse Facebook owner Meta has filed eight new trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for its logo covering a range of crypto-related products and services. A USPTO-licensed trademark attorney, Mike Kondoudis, tweeted Wednesday explaining that the applications (serial numbers: 97320155, 97320153, 97320149, 97320147, 97320146, 97320144, 97320140, and 97320136) were filed on March 18. They cover a wide range of crypto-related products and services including crypto tokens, cryptocurrencies, blockchain software, crypto exchanges, and crypto trading. Kondoudis described Meta’s applications as a blueprint for how the company intends to engage

The CEO of the world’s largest asset manager, Blackrock, says the Russia-Ukraine war has a “potential impact on accelerating digital currencies.” He confirms that Blackrock “is studying digital currencies, stablecoins and the underlying technologies to understand how they can help us serve our clients.” Blackrock on the Acceleration of Digital Currencies Blackrock CEO Larry Fink published his 2022 letter to shareholders Thursday with a section on digital currencies. Blackrock is the world’s largest asset manager, overseeing more than $10 trillion. “The Russian invasion of Ukraine has put an end to the globalization we have experienced over the last three decades,” Fink wrote. After extensively discussing the impact of the war, the CEO noted: A less-discussed aspect of the war is its potential impact on accelerating digital currencies. The war will prompt countries to re-evaluate their currency dependencies. Several renowned investors have predicted that the Russia-Ukraine war c

Florida governor, Ron DeSantis explained at a press conference on Tuesday that he’s spoken with state agencies and told them to figure out ways for businesses to pay tax with cryptocurrencies. During the signing ceremony for a bill focused on financial literacy, DeSantis said that the government is working on accepting bitcoin “for payments in the state of Florida.” DeSantis Is Concerned About Biden’s Executive Order On Tuesday, Ron DeSantis, the 46th governor of Florida appeared at a press conference with fellow colleagues in order to sign a bill that mandates financial literacy in schools throughout the state. DeSantis touched on many subjects as Florida’s governor noted that he is concerned about U.S. president Joe Biden’s recent digital currency-focused executive order . According to DeSantis, there’s a lack of understanding when it comes to decentralized crypto assets and centralized digital bank currencies (CBDCs). “There’s a difference between a decentralized digital crypto