Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

A new draft law has replaced an earlier bill introducing a one-year tax and customs amnesty for cryptocurrency miners in Russia. The initial proposal has been withdrawn on the grounds that the tax break would have resulted in losses for the state budget. Revised Crypto Mining Legislation Submitted to Russian Parliament Without Amnesty for Miners Russian lawmakers have again filed legislation with the State Duma designed to regulate cryptocurrency mining. The new draft substitutes a bill submitted at the end of April, which has now been withdrawn. The revised version is missing some provisions that would have reduced the tax burden on miners at the expense of the federal budget, the deputies noted. On the positive side for those extracting digital currencies, mining operators will not be required to check the sources of funds of their clients under the new rules. The previous draft law envisaged the establishment of a special register for entities involved in crypto mining and the...

In recent times, the impact of bitcoin mining on the environment has been a topical discussion as climate change activists believe proof-of-work (PoW) mining is too energy-intensive. However, a recent report written by the ESG analyst Daniel Batten explains that bitcoin mining could eliminate the world’s carbon emissions by 5.32%. Batten’s study notes that if bitcoin mining entities “aggressively” targeted leaked methane, bitcoin mining has the potential to avoid 0.15% of warming by 2045. ESG Analyst Claims Bitcoin Mining Is Currently the Only ‘Technologically Feasible’ Way of Reducing Methane Emissions On May 23, 2022, the CEO of Geneious and ESG analyst, Daniel Batten , published a report that shows bitcoin mining could help the environment. Batten tweeted about his study and said that the findings suggest “using [bitcoin] mining to combust leaking methane can eliminate 5.32% of all global CO2-eq emissions. In fact, Batten’s study says that bitcoin mining is one of the only ways...

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz says he is “incredibly bullish” on bitcoin and purchases the cryptocurrency weekly for his portfolio. Emphasizing that cryptocurrency “will change the world,” the senator said, “Uncontrolled, decentralized currency is terrifying for those who want control of currency.” Senator Ted Cruz ‘Incredibly Bullish’ on Bitcoin, Crypto Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) discussed bitcoin at the Heritage Foundation’s Bitcoin and the American Experiment event Monday. He began: I gotta say when it comes to bitcoin, when it comes to crypto more generally, I am incredibly bullish. “I think it is in the process of, and in the future even more so, will change the world,” he opined. He proceeded to talk about various reasons why people are attracted to bitcoin. Firstly, many are using it as a hedge against inflation. Secondly, he explained that “there’s also an appeal of speed, the ability to instantly carry out a financial transaction anywhere in the world instantaneously, and virtual...

JPMorgan sees “significant upside” to the price of bitcoin. The global investment bank’s price target for the cryptocurrency is 28% above its current price. JPMorgan has also replaced real estate with cryptocurrencies as its “preferred alternative asset class along with hedge funds.” JPMorgan’s Bitcoin Price Target Is 28% Above Current Price Global investment bank JPMorgan published a bullish note on bitcoin and cryptocurrency Wednesday. The bank’s strategists, including Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou, wrote that their price target for bitcoin remains at $38,000, “implying significant upside for digital assets from here.” At the time of writing, bitcoin is trading at $29,784, down 2.4% over the past seven days and almost 25% over the last 30 days. JPMorgan’s fair value estimate for bitcoin is nearly 28% higher than the current price of BTC . The JPMorgan strategists detailed: The past month’s crypto market correction looks more like capitulation relative to last January/February and go...

According to a recent announcement from the Terra blockchain team, the community voted and passed a proposal that plans to launch a new genesis version of the Terra blockchain without an algorithmic stablecoin. The governance proposal called “Terra Ecosystem Revival Plan 2” has been amended and the final release of the new Terra Core codebase has been released to prepare for the new network. Terra Ecosystem Rebirth to Happen on May 27, Latest Version of Terra Core Has Been Released and Audited On May 27, a new blockchain will launch that’s based on the Terra blockchain network but does not include an algorithmic stablecoin like terrausd (UST). The old chain token will be called “Luna Classic (LUNC)” and the new token will take the old name “Luna (LUNA).” The Terra team announced the May 27 launch and explained that the governance proposal passed on May 25. According to the team, the latest Terra Core code has been released and the codebase was audited by SCV Security . The gover...

PRESS RELEASE. The metaverse is a virtual world that allows millions of players to live beyond their immediate environment. With blockchain technology, users can create, own and utilize digital assets while interacting with other people in the virtual space. Cornucopias ‘The Island’ is a play-to-earn, build-to-earn, learn-to-earn, host-to-earn MMORPG game powered by the blockchain. In a world of unique domes, players can own land and other NFT-based assets which can be traded with other users on Cornucopias’ marketplace and many secondary market places. Cornucopias is a fun, safe and expanding metaverse with one of the most positive and engaged communities of any blockchain-based project. With the excitement of metaverse innovation sweeping the globe, there is an extremely high demand for the first Cornucopias land sale, which is expected to sell out in record time. Cornucopias NFT projects have a track record of completing successful sales with the right balance of supply and de...

The governor of the Bank of England, the British central bank, says bitcoin has no intrinsic value and the cryptocurrency is not suitable as a practical means of payment. His warning came after the crypto market plunged. Andrew Bailey on Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey warned about bitcoin and cryptocurrency on the Jobs of the Future podcast, published Monday. His warning came after the crypto market plunged, shedding close to $500 billion this month. Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency, has fallen more than 25% over the past 30 days. While admitting that blockchain, the underlying technology of cryptocurrencies, is important, Bailey is unconvinced about bitcoin as a means of payment. He added that Britain’s central bank is looking at its own digital currency. He continued: In terms of payments, I don’t think it will be crypto in the a sort of bitcoin sense of the term. I don’t think that is really a practical means of payment. The central ba...

Guggenheim Chief Investment Officer Scott Minerd Says there’s a lot more downside to crypto after the market plunged. He has predicted that the price of bitcoin could fall to $8K. Guggenheim’s Scott Minerd Predicts the Future Outlook for Bitcoin, Crypto Bitcoin bear Scott Minard, global chief investment officer of Guggenheim Partners, shared his recent predictions on bitcoin and the crypto sector in an interview Monday with CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Commenting on the recent crypto market decline, Minerd said: “We are seeing crypto collapse the way it is. I think it’s got more downside.” He was asked how much more downside. “When I look at bitcoin, which the technicals have been better than anything else,” the Guggenheim CIO explained: When you break below $30,000 consistently, $8,000 is the ultimate bottom, so I think we have a lot more room to the downside, especially with the Fed being restrictive. “Let’s face it, most of these currencies are – ...

A crypto investor has been arrested after knocking on Do Kwon’s door following the collapse of cryptocurrency terra (LUNA) and stablecoin terrausd (UST). He lost about $2.4 million and is now under investigation by the South Korean police. “I felt like I was going to die,” he said about losing his investments. Investor Under Investigation for Going to Do Kwon’s Home The collapse of cryptocurrency terra (LUNA) and stablecoin terrausd (UST) has wiped out a large number of investors. One investor in particular sought direct answers from Kwon Do-hyung (aka Do Kwon), CEO of Terraform Labs who is behind the two cryptocurrencies. The investor, known as “Chancers,” is a Korean social media personality who conducts streams on cryptocurrency-related topics. He lost around 3 billion won ($2.4 million) in the LUNA and UST collapse. He told BBC News: I felt like I was going to die. I lost a lot of money in a short period of time. Around $2.4m of my cryptocurrency was wiped out. He explained...

PRESS RELEASE. D’CENT Hardware Wallet recently added a new user-focused feature named ‘Exchange’ under the platform’s ‘Discovery’ tab menu, allowing users to exchange multiple network cryptocurrency assets with only a few clicks. Furthermore, users may acquire cryptocurrencies using their credit cards directly from the ‘Buy Cryptocurrency’ tab, thereby bypassing the need for crypto exchanges. Details about the wallet D’CENT provides three types of wallets, namely ‘Biometric’, ‘Card Type’, and ‘App’, all of which are handled through a single D’CENT mobile application that is fully compatible with both iOS and Android smartphones. D’CENT users may convert their cryptocurrencies into supported coins using the ‘Exchange’ menu and can purchase crypto via the ‘Buy Cryptocurrency’ options without using traditional exchange services as aforementioned. In this way, D’CENT has effectively eliminated the need for users to register their crypto wallet addresses which means that they are giv...

During the last few years, cryptocurrencies have been integrated into traditional finance tools like automated teller machines (ATMs), loadable debit cards, point-of-sale devices, and direct payments for all kinds of goods and services. Digital assets have also been added to retirement account offerings issued by financial giants like Fidelity. In recent times, cryptocurrencies can be further capitalized to put a down payment on a mortgage or get a conventional home loan using bitcoin as collateral. Crypto-Backed Conventional Home Loans These days, at least in the United States, banks require at least 20% down if a person or a couple wants to purchase a home by leveraging a conventional loan. Typically, people use cash for collateral or a down payment, but Americans can also utilize things like business equipment, inventory, invoices, blanket liens, and even other forms of real estate to secure a traditional mortgage. As of April 8, 2022, the median home price in the U.S. was $392,...

With the approaching tsunami of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) looming ever closer, it shouldn’t come as a surprise when central banks shill their coins at the expense of sounder assets. Recently, European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde went so far as to say that cryptocurrency is “worth nothing.” According to Lagarde, crypto has “no underlying asset” like the upcoming digital euro. But fiat money’s secret source of value is the real explosive scandal. ‘Worthless’ Innovation European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde recently remarked that crypto is “worth nothing” and needs to be regulated. Nevermind the humor in trying to regulate something worthless, or her failure to understand subjective value, but the once- convicted criminal Christine said something that was very interesting: [With crypto] there is no underlying asset to act as an anchor of safety. She was making this observation in comparison to the upcoming digital euro central bank digital c...

Several crypto firms, including Binance and Circle, have launched a new crypto scam reporting platform. The tool “empowers anyone in the crypto economy to warn others about scams, hacks or other fraudulent activity as they encounter it.” New Crypto Scam Reporting Platform Launched A number of crypto firms have joined forces and launched a new, multi-chain scam reporting platform. TRM Labs, Circle, Solana Foundation, the Aave Companies, Hedera, Binance.us, and Civic announced last week “the launch of a new community-powered scam reporting platform, Chainabuse .” The platform, operated by blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs, “empowers anyone in the crypto economy to warn others about scams, hacks or other fraudulent activity as they encounter it,” the announcement details, elaborating: The free tool enables crypto users, victims of financial crimes, and crypto businesses to take an active role in making the crypto ecosystem a safer place to operate. Currently, users can file re...

India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has warned about investing in the crypto market following the collapse of cryptocurrency terra (LUNA) and stablecoin terrausd (UST). “We have been cautioning against crypto and look at what has happened to the crypto market now,” said Governor Shaktikanta Das. RBI’s Governor on Crypto Market and Regulation The governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Shaktikanta Das, discussed the crypto market downturn and the regulation of crypto assets in an interview with CNBC TV18 Monday. “We have been cautioning against crypto and look at what has happened to the crypto market now,” the governor said, stressing: Had we been regulating it already, then people would have raised questions about what happened to regulations. The crypto market has shed over $1.5 trillion since November last year and almost $500 billion since the beginning of the month. The market slump was exacerbated by the fall of cryptocurrency terra (LUNA) and alg...

South Africa’s national broadcaster has suspended one of its employees that is accused of convincing unsuspecting people, including pensioners, to invest in a cryptocurrency scam. More than 100 people are believed to have fallen victim to promises of very high returns to investors in the bitcoin investment scheme. 300% Return on Investment The South African state broadcaster recently suspended one of its radio presenters, Sebasa Mogale, after a media exposé suggested he may have been part of a cryptocurrency scam outfit that reportedly promised a 300% return on investment. The decision to suspend the popular broadcaster, who also plays a role in South Africa’s popular television series Skeem Saam, was made after an investigative report by the media outlet Carte Blanche identified him as one of the masterminds behind the scam that allegedly fleeced more than 100 people. Reports of Mogale’s suspension were confirmed by Gugu Ntuli, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) gr...

The World Economic Forum (WEF), one of the most influential international institutions, has expressed its worries about the safety of metaverse dwellers, especially younger ones. The group has raised a number of concerns regarding the anonymity and safety of young individuals in this upcoming alternate world, and has given a number of recommendations to preserve them. World Economic Forum Puts Metaverse Child Safety First Big forums and institutions in the world are thinking about the implications that living a part of our lives in the metaverse might bring. The World Economic Forum ( WEF ), an “international institution for public private cooperation,” has expressed its worries about the safety of young individuals in the metaverse. In an article written as part of the Davos 2022 meeting of the forum, Mark Read, CEO of WPP, explains the growth of this sector and why building a safe metaverse is a priority. The article conveys that while the metaverse is being promoted as an alter...

Gate.io is one of the longest running secure exchanges in the world and over time, surpassed 10 million users worldwide. To mark this milestone, the exchange is launching a rebranding and a sweepstake with $9,000,000 in prizes! Read on to find out more about what makes Gate.io such a success and what the team has in-store for users as part of its 9th anniversary. Gate.io’s Journey to Business Legend Founded in 2013 , Gate.io is one of the longest-running secure exchanges in the world. Subsequently, it has grown to offer over 1400 cryptocurrencies and become a platform that provides a wealth of trading services to its users. Its portfolio of products includes Startup that allows users to invest in projects early, NFT Magic Box that allows the creation and trading of NFTs – something trendy right now, GateChain , its native blockchain system, and Gate Ventures , the venture capital investment division. One of the several secrets to Gate.io’s success is that it was one of the first...

The International Monetary Fund has mentioned it is providing technical assistance to the government of El Salvador in various ways. According to Gerry Rice, a spokesperson for the organization, the group is having talks with people of the Salvadoran government about tax and money laundering matters, including critical issues that the IMF raised in earlier reports. International Monetary Fund in Talks With El Salvador While the International Monetary Fund disagreed with the move that El Salvador made last year by declaring bitcoin as legal tender, it is still having regular talks with representatives of the Salvadoran government. In a press conference offered last week, Gerry Rice, a spokesperson of the organization, stated there was contact with the government about several issues related to bitcoin adoption in the country. Rice declared: IMF staff and Salvadoran authorities continue to hold regular conversations on the critical issues that were emphasized by our Executive Boa...

The Central Africa Republic (CAR)’s surprise bitcoin adoption decision once again shows that the top cryptocurrency can be an alternative to fiat currency. However, the African country still needs to invest heavily in its telecommunications infrastructure. The CAR also needs to prioritize education that helps the population to familiarize itself with cryptocurrency basics. The CAR’s Expensive Internet There is little doubt Central Africa Republic’s decision to designate bitcoin ( BTC ) as legal tender has surprised many. Few people expected CAR — one of Africa’s most impoverished countries and one whose economy has been ravaged by a civil war — to be the first to adopt bitcoin . For critics still trying to understand why another nation has joined El Salvador in making bitcoin legal tender, the CAR’s move is perplexing. To begin with, they cannot understand how a country with such a low internet penetration rate — less than 12% — has chosen the top cryptocurrency as its transacting c...

Coinmena, the Bahrain-based cryptocurrency exchange, recently announced that residents of Qatar can now buy and sell cryptocurrencies on its platform. The cryptocurrency exchange claimed it is the first regulated digital asset exchange to open its platform to Qatari residents. Residents Can Now Connect Bank Accounts to Their Crypto Wallets The Bahrain headquartered cryptocurrency exchange, Coinmena, has become the first regulated digital asset exchange to offer its services in Qatar. According to a statement released by the exchange on May 19, Coinmena’s foray into Qatar means the country’s residents can now connect their bank accounts to their crypto wallets. This enables them to “deposit and withdraw funds directly and safely.” In a joint statement following the exchange’s latest foray into another Middle East and North Africa (MENA) market, Coinmena’s co-founders, Dina Sam’an and Talal Tabbaa said: We are delighted to become the first crypto exchange to offer our services in ...