Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

EY’s global blockchain leader says that for the first time ever, crypto’s price swings do not have that big of an impact on the long-term growth of the industry. Nonetheless, he stressed: “It is also important that regulators crack down on obvious Ponzi schemes faster and with more severity.” EY’s Brody on Crypto Winter Paul Brody, global blockchain leader at EY, discussed the crypto winter, the need for regulation, and the collapse of crypto exchange FTX in an interview published by the Mint publication Thursday. He was asked whether he expects the current crypto winter to be over soon. “This is a much milder crypto winter than the last one,” he replied. “One of the major features of this winter is that there is a decoupling going on between the price of crypto assets and product and engineering development work that is going on in the crypto industry.” The EY executive opined: For the first time ever, price ups and downs don’t have that big of an impact on the long-term growth

Starling Bank has informed its customers that the bank no longer supports fund transfers to cryptocurrency platforms, including crypto exchanges. The bank stated that cryptocurrencies “are high risk and heavily used for criminal purposes and, as such, we no longer support them.” Starling Bank Blocks Fund Transfers to Crypto Exchanges London-headquartered Starling Bank recently notified its customers that the bank no longer supports money transfers to cryptocurrency platforms, including crypto exchanges. A number of people asked the bank for clarification on Twitter. Starling Bank provided the same response to all customers over the past couple of days, stating that crypto activity is considered high risk and it has decided to prevent all card payments to crypto merchants. The bank added that it is implementing further restrictions on outgoing and incoming transfers. Many people are unhappy with the bank’s decision. Some even said they’ve closed their accounts at the bank due to t

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the regulator overseeing the crypto sector, has defended the action it took against crypto exchange Binance and not the collapsed crypto platform FTX. The central bank also warned that cryptocurrencies are “highly volatile and many of them have lost all value.” Singapore’s Central Bank Clarifies Its Stance on Binance and FTX The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the country’s central bank, issued a press release this week “to address some questions and misconceptions that have arisen in the wake of the FTX.com (FTX) debacle.” The central bank explained: “A first misconception is that it was possible to protect local users who dealt with FTX … MAS cannot do this as FTX is not licensed by MAS and operates offshore.” The MAS proceeded to justify the action it took against Binance and not FTX. The former was placed on the central bank’s Investor Alert List (IAL) while the latter was not. The regulator clarified: While both Binance and

The Digital Asset Exchange Joint Consultative Body (DAXA), the South Korean association of crypto exchanges, announced on Nov. 24 that the WEMIX token would be delisted. In justifying the decision to delist WEMIX, the association claimed the information provided by the token’s issuer Wemade is false and has confused investors. Discrepancy Between WEMIX Circulating Supply and Token Distribution Plan An association of South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges, the Digital Asset Exchange Joint Consultative Body (DAXA), announced on Nov. 24 that the gaming platform Wemade’s token — WEMIX — would be delisted. According to DAXA, the decision to delist WEMIX came after the association claimed to have found a discrepancy between the token’s circulating supply and the submitted distribution plan. The announcement by DAXA, which is made up of five crypto exchanges, namely: Bithumb, Coinone, Gopax, Korbit, and Upbit, came just days after some local media reports suggested the delisting decision w

Just days after reassuring concerned customers, Marius Reitz, the general manager of crypto exchange Luno Africa, recently reiterated the company has not been impacted by Genesis Capital’s decision to pause withdrawals. He added Luno customers still have access to funds in the savings wallet despite its lending partner’s decision to freeze withdrawals. Customers Retain Access to Funds in the Savings Wallet According to Marius Reitz, general manager of the crypto exchange Luno Africa, his company is operating normally and has not been affected by Genesis Capital’s suspension of “redemptions and new loan originations.” Reitz added that the Digital Currency Group (DCG)-owned exchange has so far not seen “any significant changes in deposits, withdrawals or trading volumes.” As reported by Bitcoin.com News, Genesis had paused customer withdrawals “in response to the extreme market dislocation and loss of industry confidence caused by the FTX implosion.” After the announcement by Genesi

Ripio, an Argentina-based cryptocurrency exchange, has announced that it will expand its operations to the U.S. The company, which serves more than 4.5 million customers in Latam, received a license in the state of Florida to operate and will start offering its Ripio Select services to companies and institutional investors. Ripio Expands Operations to US Ripio, one of the largest exchanges in Latam, with more than 4.5 million customers on the continent, has announced it will expand its operations to the U.S. The company obtained a license granted by the Florida Office of Financial Regulation, that will allow it to offer its suite of services to United States customers. With this endorsement, the company is ready to bring its products to customers in the country, including its custodial wallet and exchange services, and its newly launched Web3 wallet. Also, Ripio is planning to provide B2B integration with other companies. Ripio decided to first introduce its Select platform, whic

Entertainment and electronics giant Sony has recently completed the acquisition of Beyond Sports, a company specializing in using real-world data to produce 3D animation. With this purchase, the company is now reportedly able to offer a full metaverse experience for sports matches, complete with tech from other companies already in its portfolio. Sony’s Beyond Sports Purchase Gets It Closer to the Sports Metaverse Sony is now making a foray into the sports metaverse world. The company recently closed the acquisition of Beyond Sports, a 3D imaging and animation company that possesses tech to transform real information from a sports match into a metaverse representation. Numbers for the acquisition were not released, but are believed to be as high as $70 million dollars, according to Nikkei estimations. This purchase, along with the technology of Hawk-Eye Innovations — another company owned by the conglomerate — will allow the company to produce, in real-time, content relating to ba

New York Attorney General Letitia James has urged Congress to pass a law prohibiting crypto investments in retirement accounts. “Hardworking Americans should not have to worry about their retirement savings being wiped out due to risky bets on unstable assets like cryptocurrencies,” she stressed. NYAG Letitia James Urges Congress to Prohibit Crypto Investments in Retirement Accounts New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Tuesday that she has “urged congressional leaders to adopt legislation that would prohibit investing retirement funds in digital assets, such as cryptocurrencies, digital coins, and digital tokens.” In the letter she sent to Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA), and Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) Tuesday, James wrote: On behalf of the people of the state of New York, I urge Congress to pass legislation to designate digital assets — e.g., cryptocurrencies, digital coins, and digital tokens — as assets that cannot be purchased

Tesla CEO and Twitter chief Elon Musk has clarified that Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of collapsed crypto exchange FTX, does not own any stake in Twitter. This followed an article published by a Bankman-Fried-backed publication suggesting that Musk took $100 million from the former FTX executive. Elon Musk on SBF’s Alleged Investment in Twitter Elon Musk has clarified that Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), FTX’s co-founder and former CEO, currently owns 0% of Twitter. The confirmation followed an article published Wednesday by Bankman-Fried-backed publication Semafor indicating that SBF owns a $100 million stake in the social media platform. The article claimed to have obtained a private text message between Musk and Bankman-Fried as proof of the stake. Semafor debuted on Oct 18, just a few weeks before the FTX meltdown began . The crypto exchange filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Nov. 11 and SBF stepped down as the CEO. Musk tweeted Wednesday: “Semafor is owned by SBF. This is a massiv

A well-regulated African cryptocurrency market is needed in order to protect users as well as help countries stop bad actors from using digital assets to circumvent capital controls, the latest post on the IMF blog has said. The blog post reiterated the IMF’s belief that risks to a country are “much greater if crypto is adopted as legal tender.” Crypto’s Volatility Said to Render It an Unsuitable Store of Value The collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and subsequent crypto market downturn once again highlights the need for better regulation of the industry, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said in its latest blog post . According to the blog, in Africa, where the crypto market is rapidly growing, urgent action is also needed in order to block or stop bad actors from using crypto assets to facilitate illegal activities. As per the global lender’s latest blog post, only a quarter of countries in Africa’s sub-Saharan region formally regulate cryptocurrencies. However,

Deloitte estimates the metaverse could add $1.4 trillion to Asia’s GDP annually by 2035. Noting that the metaverse market could be as large as $13 trillion by 2030, the global financial services firm said: “The metaverse is no longer science fiction. Early metaverse platforms are already being used by millions.” Deloitte’s Metaverse Study A new report by Deloitte, titled “The Metaverse in Asia: Strategies for Accelerating Economic Impact,” estimates that the metaverse is a trillion-dollar opportunity in Asia. The study takes an in-depth look at 12 selected Asian economies: Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, mainland China, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Deloitte’s report states: We estimate that the impact of the metaverse to GDP in Asia could be between US$0.8 trillion – US$1.4 trillion per year by 2035, roughly 1.3-2.4% of overall GDP per year by 2035. “The metaverse presents a trillion-dollar opportunity to significantly transf

For most retail investors, trading has traditionally been a solitary exercise, making the barrier to entry relatively high. Information regarding trading instruments and market conditions can often be hard to come by or, at other times, too complex for beginners to grasp. Here at Bitget, the organisation is determined to remove this barrier by turning trading into a social, collaborative activity that investors can engage in together. To further enhance social trading experience, the team at Bitget have recently launched two new services: Bitget Insights and Bitget Strategy Plaza. Both of these platforms allow traders to more easily share their knowledge and opinions on market conditions and trends, giving users the space and opportunity to engage in constructive collaboration. Along with other social trading products such as One-Click Copy trade, Bitget gives investors an edge with a series of crypto social trading features. What Is Social Trading? Social trading places a focus on

U.S. authorities have seized seven domains used in “pig butchering” cryptocurrency schemes. “Once the money is sent to the fake investment app, the scammer vanishes, taking all the money with them, often resulting in significant losses for the victim,” the Department of Justice warned. 7 Domains Used in Pig Butchering Crypto Scam Seized The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Tuesday “the seizure of seven domain names used in a recent cryptocurrency confidence crime, known as ‘pig butchering.'” The DOJ explained that “In pig butchering schemes, scammers encounter victims on dating apps, social media websites, or even random texts masquerading as a wrong number,” elaborating: Scammers initiate relationships with victims and slowly gain their trust, eventually introducing the idea of making a business investment using cryptocurrency. “Victims are then directed to other members of the scam syndicate running fraudulent cryptocurrency investment platforms, where victims a

A Ripple executive says there is one important lesson from the meltdown of crypto exchange FTX that he “can say with total confidence will not be learned.” The executive added: “Regulation that punishes after the fact won’t catch it. Investor due diligence won’t either.” One Lesson From FTX Collapse That Won’t Be Learned The CTO of Ripple Labs, David Schwartz, shared his thoughts on the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX in a series of tweets Monday. FTX filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Nov. 11. While noting that several lessons should be learned from the FTX fiasco, the Ripple executive said: There’s one important lesson that is really pretty obvious in retrospect and that I can say with total confidence will not be learned. He explained: “If you hold billions of dollars of other people’s money for indefinite time periods, the temptation to speculate with those funds is irresistible if there aren’t verifiable checks that make such risk-taking virtually impossible, noth

The mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, is not discouraged by the collapse of crypto exchange FTX and heavy market sell-offs. Noting that crypto is coming whether we like it or not, he stressed the importance of moving into this space. NYC’s Mayor on FTX Collapse and the Importance of Embracing Crypto New York City Mayor Eric Adams answered some questions about how the meltdown of crypto exchange FTX affects his crypto stance Tuesday at the Manhattan Family Justice Center. Adams is a big supporter of bitcoin and crypto. He converted some of his paychecks into BTC and ETH earlier this year “to send a message that New York City is open to technology.” The mayor was asked if he has any regrets about supporting bitcoin and whether New York City should continue to promote the crypto industry. “Well, first I believe in technology — the whole thought of using crypto, blockchain currency, you call it cyber wallets,” he replied, elaborating: We need to move into this space. This space

Digital asset mining and staking firm Foundry has agreed to purchase two “turnkey” bitcoin mining facilities from Compute North, a bitcoin miner that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sept. 22, 2022. Foundry says the two data centers have a total power capacity of around 17 megawatts (MW), and the company also has the rights to purchase a third site from the troubled bitcoin mining business. Foundry’s acquisition announcement follows the speculation surrounding Genesis Global Capital, another business owned by the company’s parent firm Digital Currency Group. DCG-Owned Foundry Digital Plans to Acquire 2 ‘Turnkey’ Facilities from Compute North, Foundry Has Option to Purchase a Third Site On Tuesday, the mining and staking firm Foundry Digital announced it has plans to acquire two data centers from Compute North. The two “turnkey sites” are located in North Sioux City, SD, and Big Springs, TX. The sites will give Foundry 17 MW of operational capacity and “a fleet of minin

Bitpreco, a Brazilian cryptocurrency exchange, has decided to extend its functionality to offer banking services through a new platform called Bitybank. The company, which will also open payment and digital account services, plans to attract users to crypto through cashback programs that counter the fears of users purchasing cryptocurrencies in today’s uncertain market. Bitpreco to Launch Banking Services Through Bitybank While several traditional banking institutions are now offering or considering offering cryptocurrency-related services in Brazil, crypto-centric applications are also seeking to include traditional financial instruments in their services portfolio. Bitpreco, a Brazilian exchange, is now expanding its services to offer banking functions. The company is one of the largest in Brazil, accounting for 13% of all bitcoin transactions in the last three months. Ney Pimenta, one of the partners at Bitpreco, explained that these new services, which will include payments,

Bank of England’s deputy governor for financial stability, Sir Jon Cunliffe, says the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX has highlighted the urgent need for tighter crypto regulation. “We should not wait until it is large and connected to develop the regulatory frameworks necessary to prevent a crypto shock that could have a much greater destabilizing impact,” said the deputy governor. Bank of England’s Cunliffe on FTX Collapse and the Need for Crypto Regulation Sir Jon Cunliffe, Bank of England’s deputy governor for financial stability, shared his view on the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the need for tighter crypto regulation at a Warwick Business School event Monday. Citing “last year’s crypto winter and last week’s FTX implosion,” Cunliffe detailed: While the crypto world … is not at present large enough or interconnected enough with mainstream finance to threaten the stability of the financial system, its links with mainstream finance have been developing

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted JPMorgan Chase Bank’s trademark registration for “J.P. Morgan Wallet” for use in a wide range of financial services, including virtual currency transfers and exchanges, as well as crypto payment services. JPMorgan Chase’s Wallet Trademark JPMorgan Chase Bank has successfully registered a wallet trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Mike Kondoudis, a USPTO-licensed trademark attorney, tweeted Monday that “J.P. Morgan Wallet” is now a registered trademark. JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. is listed as the trademark owner. The USPTO granted the bank’s trademark registration on Nov. 15; the application date was July 24, 2020. The services listed for the J.P. Morgan Wallet trademark include “electronic transfer of virtual currencies,” “financial exchange of virtual currencies,” and “cryptocurrency payment processing,” the USPTO website shows. JPMorgan Explains What J.P. Morgan Wallet Is and How

Several U.S. senators have called on Fidelity Investments to reconsider allowing bitcoin in 401(k) retirement plans. “The recent implosion of FTX, a cryptocurrency exchange, has made it abundantly clear the digital asset industry has serious problems,” the lawmakers told Fidelity CEO Abigail Johnson. US Senators Want Fidelity to Stop Offering Bitcoin in Retirement Plans Three U.S. senators sent a letter to Fidelity Investments CEO Abigail Johnson Monday regarding the financial services firm’s bitcoin offerings in 401(k) retirement plans. The letter was signed by senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), and Tina Smith (D-MN). Reiterating their concerns about Fidelity allowing bitcoin exposure in retirement plans, the lawmakers stressed: “Once again, we strongly urge Fidelity Investments to reconsider its decision to allow 401(k) plan sponsors to expose plan participants to bitcoin.” They detailed: “Since our previous letter , the digital asset industry has only

PRESS RELEASE Financie Inc. pleased to announce that the “SUPER SAPIENSS NFT” sales conducted by “SUPER SAPIENSS”, an entertainment DAO project active on FiNANCiE. About SUPER SAPIENSS “SUPER SAPIENSS” is an unprecedented entertainment project that brings together three directors (Yukihiko Tsutsumi, Katsuyuki Motohiro, and Yuichi Sato) who have led the Japanese entertainment and film industry, and producer Takeshi Moriya as board members to create the original story and visualize it. The project is taking on the challenge of an entertainment DAO utilizing FiNANCiE’s “token issuance” and token-based “co-creation community” in order to usher in a new era of entertainment in Japan. The company has conducted two rounds of token-issuing type funding, and has collected a cumulative total of over 50 million yen in support and approximately 3,000 members in the community. The supporters who hold the tokens do not simply observe the production process of the contents, but are closely inv