Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

The latest data from Cryptocompare shows that assets under management (AUM) of crypto investment products reached record lows during the month of June. The data also shows 21 Shares Short Bitcoin ETP as the only digital investment product that registered a positive 30-day return (30.8%) as of June 23. Three Arrows Capital Insolvency Factor The AUM of crypto investment products dropped to record lows in the month of June 2022, the latest data from Cryptocompare has shown. According to the regulated benchmark administrator and digital asset data firm, this drop in the AUM was primarily caused by the uncertainties surrounding the future of crypto lending companies like Three Arrows Capital. As the data shows, crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) had the most significant drop, a 52.0% decline to $1.31 billion in AUM. On the other hand, trust products which account for 80.3% of the market fell by 35.8% finishing the month at $17.3 billion. Exchange-traded commodities (ETCs) and exchang...

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has charged Mirror Trading International (MTI) and its operator with a $1.7 billion fraud involving bitcoin. This action is the regulator’s largest fraud scheme case involving the cryptocurrency. CFTC Takes Action Against MTI The CFTC announced Thursday that it has charged a “South African pool operator and CEO with $1.7 billion fraud involving bitcoin.” The regulator added: This action is CFTC’s largest fraud scheme case involving bitcoin. The derivatives watchdog has filed a civil enforcement action, charging Cornelius Johannes Steynberg and Mirror Trading International Proprietary Ltd. (MTI) with “fraud and registration violations.” From approximately May 18, 2018, through March 20 last year, “Steynberg, individually and as the controlling person of MTI, engaged in an international fraudulent multilevel marketing scheme … to solicit bitcoin from members of the public for participation in a commodity pool operated by MTI,” ...

Coincoinx, a cryptocurrency exchange, will reportedly launch a service that will allow users to skip trading crypto for fiat to make payments in Venezuela. The service, which is called Coinpago, will allow users to make payments in every store and retailer in the country that accepts Pagomovil, a banking service that allows seamless fiat transfers between banks in the country. Coincoinx to Ease Crypto Payments in Venezuela While cryptocurrency is slowly going mainstream, becoming more popular in many locations around the world, there are still many retailers and service providers that are not accepting cryptocurrency as a means of payment. However, services that combine traditional bank-based payments and crypto are growing, and bringing functionality to crypto users. Coincoinx, a cryptocurrency exchange in Venezuela, has announced the launch of a service that will combine crypto and fiat for traditional payments. The service, called Coinpago, aims to allow customers of the exchang...

After the downfall of the two most popular crypto assets on the Terra blockchain, the digital currencies terrausd (UST) and luna classic (LUNC) increased a great deal in value against the U.S. dollar in recent times. During the last seven days, LUNC has risen 96.3% and the once-stable coin UST has increased 472.4% this week. Luna Classic and the Once-Stable Coin UST Rise Significantly Against the US Dollar It’s pretty well known in the world of digital currencies that some crypto assets never die. That seems to be the case with the two notorious crypto assets luna classic (LUNC) and terrausd (UST), a former stablecoin that is sometimes referred to as terraclassicusd (USTC). LUNC took the name luna classic because Terra’s new token is now referred to as LUNA. UST was once stable and held the $1 parity from October 2020 up until May 9, 2022. When UST depegged it dropped below a U.S. penny, and tapped a low of $0.006 per unit on June 18, 2022. However, since the $0.006 per unit low, ...

PRESS RELEASE. Crypto investment platform Midas Investments has reported that it has created an infrastructure that is designed with built-in, automated tools and strategies that don’t require investors to master the nature of trade within the volatile decentralized finance market. Traditional CeFi refers to centralized finance mechanisms such as crypto lending and borrowing, which have been used to generate moderate passive yields for investors from as far back as 2016. Contrary to DeFi, CeFi is different in that security measures are strict and investor activity is closely regulated by measures like KYC/AML. Human involvement is also vital, being pertinent to network processes, as established on original platforms like Crypto.com. CeDeFi bridges the gap between the centralized and decentralized finance worlds. Midas Investments reports that it is built upon a similar model as CeFi platforms like Nexo and combines it with algo and DeFi strategies together to offer hybrid yields st...

The Argentinian Tax Agency, the AFIP, has ramped up the seizures of digital wallets of taxpayers in the country. The institution managed to seize more than 1,200 digital wallets of taxpayers that had debts and didn’t have a bank account, or other properties available to be collected by the courts. While the organization has yet to order crypto-related seizures, this could be possible in the future. Argentinian Tax Agency Seizes More Than 1,200 Digital Wallets Tax regulators around the world are becoming more and more aware of the different ways in which taxpayers can hide their funds to avoid paying taxes. The Argentinian tax agency, the AFIP, has been busy taking control of the digital wallets of debtors to the institution. These digital wallets are custodial services provided by fintech companies to third parties, that in some ways are not directly related to banks. The basis for the seizures was established in February when the AFIP included these in the list of seizable assets....

Deutsche Bank has predicted that the price of bitcoin will increase nearly 40% from the current level to $28K by the end of the year. The bank’s analysts also warned that “the crypto free fall could continue.” Deutsche Bank’s Bitcoin Price Prediction Deutsche Bank has reportedly predicted that the price of bitcoin will rise to $28,000 by year-end, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing an analysis by the bank’s senior economist and market strategist Marion Laboure and research analyst Galina Pozdnyakova. Based on their analysis, bitcoin’s price will rally 38% from the current price of $20,329 given how closely BTC has been trading with U.S. stocks. They noted that cryptocurrencies have been correlated to benchmarks like the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 and the S&P 500 since November. The S&P 500 is down 21% since the beginning of the year. The Deutsche Bank strategists expect the index to recover to January levels by the end of the year. Laboure and Pozdnyakova liken bitcoin to d...

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has revealed its plan to expand in several European markets. The company is reportedly in the process of registering a crypto exchange in Spain, France, Italy, and the Netherlands. Coinbase Expanding in Europe Coinbase Global Inc. (Nasdaq: COIN) is reportedly planning to expand operations in Europe, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing an interview with Nana Murugesan, Coinbase’s vice president of International and Business Development. Noting that Coinbase is focused on growing its presence in Europe, the executive revealed that the exchange is in the process of applying for a license in various European markets including Italy, Spain, France, and the Netherlands. The Nasdaq-listed company is currently registered in the U.K., Ireland, and Germany, Murugesan confirmed, noting that Coinbase also recently hired its first employee in Switzerland. “In all these markets our intention is to have retail and institutional products,” the executive emphasiz...

The Foresight Ventures founding and partnership team includes veterans of some of the top financial and technology firms dedicated to sourcing and supporting the next generation of disruptive innovations across Web3. They believe the future is multi-chain and thus the chains that find product market fit will all need partners to help expand their ecosystems. They hope to become that partner, investing early and supporting their ecosystems by holding and providing resources for growth. Tony Cheng, general partner from Foresight Ventures , recently joined the Bitcoin.com News Podcast to talk about the market: Tony graduated from Nankai University with a BSc in Applied Mathematics, then went on to the University of Oxford for post-graduate studies resulting in a MSc in Financial Economics. After graduation Tony worked as a management consultant at Oliver Wyman in HK, mainly covering financial services and Fintech clients in the APAC region. After doing many consulting projects for F...

One of the Onecoin co-founders, Ruja Ignatova, otherwise known as the ‘Cryptoqueen,’ has been added to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list on Thursday. In addition to adding the Cryptoqueen to the most wanted list, the FBI is offering a reward of up to $100K for tips that lead to the 42-year-old woman’s arrest. Onecoin’s Cryptoqueen Is Now on the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted List Ruja Ignatova is well known for her involvement with the Onecoin Ponzi scheme , and it is estimated that the scam allegedly defrauded people out of $4 billion. The pyramid scheme promoted Onecoin as a blockchain project with a native cryptocurrency but there was no blockchain and no real crypto asset behind the scam. However, Onecoin’s management, recruits, and Ignatova promoted the project as if it was a “bitcoin killer.” From late 2014 to March 2016, Ignatova pitched Onecoin sales and recruited members on a regular basis. During the end of the scheme’s functional state,...

On Tuesday, the Canada-based investment firm Cypherpunk Holdings Inc. announced that the company has sold all of its bitcoin and ethereum due to the “risk of further significant drawdowns.” The company has transitioned its treasury to cash after selling 214.72 bitcoin and 205.82 ethereum as Cypherpunk Holdings continues “to see systemic risks propagating” across the crypto economy. Cypherpunk Holdings Sells All of the Bitcoin and Ethereum on Its Balance Sheet Crypto winter has done a lot of damage since the bull run’s price highs, as more than $2 trillion has left the digital currency economy since the first week of November 2021. Today, the crypto economy is worth roughly $945 billion and bitcoin (BTC) is coasting along just above the $20K per unit range. BTC is down more than 70% from the all-time high ($69K) on November 10, 2021, and ethereum (ETH) has lost more than 77% since the ATH ($4,878) recorded on the same day. On June 28, 2022, or eight months later, the publicly li...

Taiwan’s central bank is yet to conclude work on its central bank digital currency (CBDC) and according to the bank’s governor, the institution may need two more years to finish its work, a report has said. Some of the bank’s next tasks include winning the public’s support, ensuring the system is stable, and building the currency’s legal framework. Simulating Use of the CBDC Some two years after work on Taiwan’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) commenced, the governor of the country’s central bank, Yang Chin-long, recently revealed that his organization is still working on the project. Yang warned the central bank may need as long as two years to complete the task. Yang, who spoke at a digital currencies forum, also disclosed the central bank had been simulating the use of the CBDC in what a Reuters report called a closed-loop environment. However, the same report said the central bank now faces three key tasks. These include communicating and ultimately winning the public’s s...

E-commerce giant Ebay has filed two trademark applications covering a wide range of products and services relating to the metaverse and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Ebay’s NFT, Metaverse Trademark Applications Ebay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) filed two trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) last week covering a wide range of products and services relating to non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and the metaverse. A USPTO-licensed trademark attorney, Mike Kondoudis, tweeted Tuesday: “Ebay Inc. is coming to the metaverse.” He explained that the filings indicate the e-commerce giant’s plans for virtual good marketplaces, online retail stores with actual and virtual goods, NFTs, NFT exchanges, and NFT trading. The applications’ serial numbers are 97473696 and 97473620. One day before Ebay filed the two trademark applications, the company announced that it has acquired NFT marketplace Knownorigin. According to Ebay, the two companies signed and closed the deal...

Warren Buffett-backed Nubank, one of the world’s largest digital banking platforms, is now offering cryptocurrency trading to all of its 54 million customers. Nubank also holds bitcoin on its balance sheet. Nubank’s Crypto Service Now Available to All Customers Nubank, one of the world’s largest digital banking platforms, now offers cryptocurrency trading to all clients, according to its blog post, updated Monday. The bank serves around 54 million customers across Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia. “Nubank Cripto is the solution to buy and sell cryptocurrencies directly through the Nu app,” the bank wrote, adding: The option to buy cryptocurrencies through Nubank is now available to all our customers. Update your app. “To help you enter this universe more safely, we decided to offer, first, the largest cryptocurrencies on the market: bitcoin and ether,” the bank added. Nubank further clarified: For this launch, Nubank has a partnership with Paxos, an exchange specializing in cryp...

Microstrategy has purchased more bitcoin amid a heavy market sell-off. The announcement followed a clarification by the chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gary Gensler, stating that bitcoin is a commodity. Microstrategy Buys the Dip The Nasdaq-listed software company Microstrategy has bought the bitcoin dip again. In a Wednesday filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the company declared that during the period between May 3 and June 28, it “acquired approximately 480 bitcoins for approximately $10.0 million in cash, at an average price of approximately $20,817 per bitcoin, inclusive of fees and expenses.” The filing adds: As of June 28, 2022, Microstrategy, together with its subsidiaries, held an aggregate of approximately 129,699 bitcoins. Overall, the company’s BTC “were acquired at an aggregate purchase price of approximately $3.98 billion and an average purchase price of approximately $30,664 per bitcoin, inclusive of fee...

Authorities in Uzbekistan have drafted and put forward for public consultations a set of rules for crypto miners operating in the country. Companies that want to mint digital currencies will have to register with the government and use renewable energy. Uzbekistan Discusses Draft Regulations for Crypto Mining Sector Entities involved in cryptocurrency mining will need to register and renew their certificate every year, according to a draft decree by the director of Uzbekistan’s National Agency for Perspective Projects. NAPP is the country’s main crypto watchdog, which is directly subordinated to the administration of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The document was recently published for public consultations that will continue until July 9 and have already attracted a number of suggestions. It introduces key definitions pertaining to the industrial activity of digital currency extraction, including for the terms crypto mining, miner, and mining equipment. The decree states that cr...

The chairman of China’s Blockchain Service Network (BSN) Development Alliance Shan Zhiguang, and his colleague, insisted in a recently published op-ed that virtual currency is “undoubtedly the largest Ponzi scheme in human history.” However, they have said the “value of blockchain technology should not be ignored because of virtual currency.” Opinion Piece Claims 90% of 100 Richest People Have Bad-Mouthed Virtual Currency The chairman of the Chinese Blockchain Service Network (BSN) Development Alliance, Shan Zhiguang, and executive director He Yifan, have said virtual currency is “undoubtedly the largest Ponzi scheme in human history.” They also claimed that this Ponzi scheme has since morphed into one that is “no longer just about cash.” In a recent opinion piece published by the People Daily Online newspaper, the BSN chairman and his colleague begin their attack on virtual currency and bitcoin by pointing to the fact it has been “bad-mouthed” by at least 90% of the 100 richest p...

PRESS RELEASE. With crypto markets down around 50% in the past month and over 70% from their highs in late 2021, many crypto investors are searching for answers after their profits from the last few years have evaporated into the ether. Following the incredible bull market, crypto investors enjoyed over 2020 and 2021; you may now find yourself nursing losses rather than gains ahead of the upcoming tax season. Crypto tax platform Koinly shares 5 little-known tax hacks you need to know after the crypto crash. 1. Pay less tax by holding Want to avoid paying tax on crypto? While you can’t dodge your tax obligations entirely – there are quite a few ways you can optimize your tax position. But here’s the catch, you’ll need to do it before the end of the financial year to pay less tax overall. You’ve probably heard it before, but the easiest way to pay less crypto tax is to simply HODL. In many jurisdictions, holding your crypto investment (or other assets like shares) for longer than...

The results of a new report commissioned by the CNMV, the securities watchdog in Spain, have found that three out of four citizens have heard about cryptocurrencies. However, the report, which included opinions from 1,500 participants, also found that this knowledge is still minimal, and that less than 10% have actually purchased cryptocurrency as a means of investment. CNMV Reveals Results of Crypto Study The CNMV, the institution that oversees the securities markets in Spain, has revealed the results of its latest cryptocurrency report. The study , commissioned by the institution and carried out by a company called “Grupo Analisis e Investigacion,” surveyed 1,500 participants and an alternative sample of 300 cryptocurrency investors to take a snapshot of the penetration that crypto has had regarding Spanish investors. One of the most relevant results of the study has to do with the popularity of crypto in the country. According to the numbers released, three out of every four Spa...

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has reportedly revealed that more than 400 crypto ads violated its guidelines so far this year. The majority of complaints the ad council received are directed at influencers. “Some influencers talk so confidently about crypto without fully understanding it.” 419 Ads in Violation — Most Complaints Concern Influencers The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has reportedly revealed that it received 453 complaints relating to crypto ads between January and May. The council added that out of all complaints, 419 cryptocurrency advertisements required modifications, the Economic Times reported Monday, noting that most complaints concern influencers. Manisha Kapoor, CEO of ASCI, described: Some influencers talk so confidently about crypto without fully understanding it. It does create an impression that it is safe, it’s fine and a cool thing. She explained that the council will continue to focus on adequate disclosures and r...

The famous author of the best-selling book Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, says he’s waiting for the price of bitcoin to test $1,100. He added that he will buy more if the cryptocurrency recovers from that price level. Robert Kiyosaki on Bitcoin Testing $1,100 The author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, has returned with a new bitcoin outlook. Rich Dad Poor Dad is a 1997 book co-authored by Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. It has been on the New York Times Best Seller List for over six years. More than 32 million copies of the book have been sold in over 51 languages across more than 109 countries. The famous author tweeted a “Rich Dad lesson” Monday night. He explained that “losers quit when they lose,” but “winners learn from their losses.” Asserting that “Bitcoin losers are quitting,” he said he is waiting for BTC to test $1,100, adding that he will buy more if the crypto recovers. “If it does not, I will wait for losers to ‘capitulate’ quit then buy more,” he further sta...

Nigerian author and crypto advocate Nathaniel Luz has said his recently published book represents his attempt to remind people of the initial reason why bitcoin was created. He said bitcoin is the summation of over three decades of research and experimentation. Noise of Other Cryptos Drowning Out Message of Bitcoin A Nigerian author and crypto advocate, Nathaniel Luz, has published a new book on bitcoin wherein he reminds readers of the reasons why the cryptocurrency was created. Luz also uses the book to highlight the fact people now use bitcoin to “transact globally without restrictions of age, gender, race or location.” According to Luz, the release of the book is coming at a time when many — particularly those new to crypto — appear to be attracted more by the promise of an “infinite percentage of returns” than by BTC ’s primary selling points. He also said seeing the noise of various cryptocurrencies drowning “the message of bitcoin” motivated him to write a book that explains...

ETH has managed to remain above the $1,200 level on Tuesday, despite an increase in price uncertainty in crypto markets. BTC fell below $21,000 in today’s session, as the global crypto market cap fell by as much as 2% earlier today. Bitcoin Following a marginally bearish start to the week, downward pressure intensified in today’s session, sending bitcoin slightly lower. The world’s largest crypto token fell to an intraday low of $20,577 during Tuesday’s session, less than 24 hours after nearing $22,000. Today’s decline comes following a rise of bearish sentiment, with traders seeing yesterday’s decision by bulls to secure gains as a sign of weakness. As such, those looking for downward opportunities used that as a signal to re-enter the market, pushing prices marginally lower in the process. One of the main catalysts for this change in sentiment is the 14-day RSI, which failed to break out of its key resistance level of 35.70 on Monday. As of writing, BTC /USD is now trading ...

Analysts from the multinational investment bank and financial services company Goldman Sachs Group Inc. have downgraded Coinbase Global Inc. in a note to investors on Monday. Today, Coinbase shares are down 83.68% from the stock’s all-time high (ATH) in November 2021. Goldman analyst William Nance explained that his group of market strategists believes “Coinbase will need to make substantial reductions in its cost base.” Goldman Downgrades Coinbase, COIN Shares Down 83% From Price High Coinbase shares have suffered during the bear market as many crypto company stocks have lost considerable value during the last few months. When Coinbase first went public on April 14, 2021, the company’s shares were listed on Nasdaq via a direct listing under the ticker COIN . At the time, the Coinbase initial public offering (IPO) reference price was set at $250, and investors saw the crypto exchange’s listing as a “watershed” moment. Following the stock coming out of the gate 14 months ago, amid ...

After seeing the country’s inflation rise to 191.6% in June, Zimbabwean monetary authorities said they have resolved to increase the benchmark interest rate to 200% per annum. In addition, the central bank said it will introduce gold coins which will act as an instrument that will “enable investors to store value.” Discouraging Speculative Borrowing Monetary authorities in hyperinflation-stricken Zimbabwe reportedly plan to hike the benchmark interest rate to 200% per annum, one of the highest in the world. According to an official quoted by Bloomberg, this plan is expected to help put the brakes on the country’s runaway inflation. The latest data from Zimbabwe’s statistical body shows the country’s inflation rate now stands at 191.6%. Explaining the rationale behind the planned move, Persistence Gwanyanya, a member of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)’s monetary policy committee, said that by hiking the benchmark rate the central bank will discourage speculative borrowing. Gwany...

Cryptoys, an NFT-based startup, announced it has raised $23 million in a Series A funding round led by a16z. The company, which seeks to mix NFTs with the world of gaming and virtual toys, will create what it calls a “cryptoyverse,” in which it will also implement play-to-earn features and issue its own tokens. Cryptoys Raises $23 Million in Series A Round The NFT market is facing a slump phase that is affecting prices and the popularity of NFT projects recently. However, there are projects that have managed to stay afloat and even thrive. One of them is Cryptoys, an NFT startup that has announced the completion of a successful funding round. The Series A funding round, which raised $23 million, was led by a16z crypto , with the participation of other companies and firms including Mattel, Dapper Labs, Draper & Associates, Acrew Capital, Coinfund, Animoca Brands, and Sound Ventures. The company will use these funds to further develop its own platform, dubbed “cryptoyverse,” whi...