Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

Financial institutions in Russia will not be able to communicate with clients through instant messengers based outside the country, local media revealed. A new law passed by the State Duma also prohibits banks from using chats to send personal data and payment documents. Bill Restricts Russian Banks and Brokers From Sending Sensitive Information Through Foreign Messengers Banks in the Russian Federation will not be allowed to contact their customers on a number of popular messengers, according to new legislation approved by the lower house of parliament. The ban applies to foreign-based platforms. A list of the affected apps is yet to be published by Roskomnadzor , the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media, but Telegram , Whatsapp, Viber, and the like fit the description, the business daily Kommersant reported. The draft law, passed by the State Duma in the third reading, also restricts the use of this type of messaging service fo...

A strategist at global investment bank JPMorgan says crypto is effectively nonexistent as an asset class for most large institutional investors. “The volatility is too high, the lack of an intrinsic return that you can point to makes it very challenging,” he added. JPMorgan on Institutional Crypto Investing JPMorgan Asset Management’s head of institutional portfolio strategy, Jared Gross, discussed crypto and institutional investors’ interest in the asset class on Bloomberg Friday. The senior investment strategist described: As an asset class, crypto is effectively nonexistent for most large institutional investors … The volatility is too high, the lack of an intrinsic return that you can point to makes it very challenging. Gross added that it is “self-evident” that bitcoin has not proven itself to be a form of digital gold or haven asset like some have hoped. He continued: Most institutional investors probably are breathing a sigh of relief that they didn’t jump into that mar...

The host of Mad Money, Jim Cramer, says he would not touch crypto in a million years. He called investors who own various altcoins idiots and urged the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to do “a big sweep” on the crypto industry. Jim Cramer’s Crypto Warnings The host of CNBC’s Mad Money show, Jim Cramer, has issued more warnings about cryptocurrency. Cramer is a former hedge fund manager who co-founded Thestreet.com, a financial news and literacy website. He said on CNBC Friday: I would not touch crypto in a million years because I wouldn’t trust the deposit bank. He was then asked whether he is making a distinction between centralized and decentralized platforms. “They fought regulation. They didn’t want regulation and you don’t have regulation,” Cramer replied, indicating that he does not trust any platforms that do not want regulation. The Mad Money host continued: I’m just saying you are using a lot of blind faith, and I like to have my money at JPMorgan, and ...

The European Central Bank (ECB) has published a new report on the progress of its investigation into the possible launch of a digital euro. The research will continue next year with the regulator planning to make a decision whether to proceed to the realization of the project in the fall of 2023. ECB to Develop Rules for Digital Euro Distribution Through Intermediaries The eurozone’s central bank has released a second report on the advance of the investigation phase of its project to issue a digital version of the common European currency. The document presents a set of design and distribution options, recently endorsed by its Governing Council, and defines the roles of the ECB and market participants in the digital euro ecosystem. Just like banknotes today, a digital euro would be a liability on the balance sheet of the Eurosystem, the monetary authority of the eurozone consisting of the ECB and the national central banks of the member states. Therefore, the Eurosystem must be in...

Russian lawmakers will consider a draft law on cryptocurrency mining in 2023 despite earlier indications they were going to vote on the proposal in December. The bill is expected to set the rules for the extraction and sale of cryptocurrency in Russia amid sanctions limiting the country’s access to global finances and markets. Russia’s New Crypto Mining Legislation Is Yet to Be Fully Approved Members of the State Duma will review and vote on the draft law designed to legalize cryptocurrency mining in the Russian Federation in 2023, the head of the Financial Market Committee Anatoly Aksakov announced in comments for the crypto section of the business news portal RBC. The high-ranking lawmaker, who has been closely involved in efforts to regulate Russia’s crypto space, explained that the proposed legislation needs additional approvals. He was likely referring to the reconciliation of the positions of the various regulators involved in the process. The bill, which was submitted to ...

Samsung, the Korean electronics behemoth, has revealed it is currently investing more than $35 million dollars in metaverse initiatives for the Latam audience. The objective behind this move is to help the brand attract and connect with younger audiences, as part of its digital push and growth marketing strategy. Samsung’s Metaverse Push in Latam Many companies have started to put their products and their brands in the metaverse, considering it an important part of their marketing strategy. Samsung, one of the biggest electronics companies in the world, has recently revealed it is investing more than $35 million in metaverse initiatives directed at Latam customers. In an article published on Dec. 20, Anita Caerols, director of marketing and corporate citizenship of Samsung Electronics Chile, explains the motivations behind this virtual reality push for the company. She stated: At Samsung we believe that the metaverse is a concrete commitment to connect with young consumers. That...

Bank of England Deputy Governor Sir Jon Cunliffe has revealed that the British central bank is planning to step up its efforts to regulate cryptocurrency trading with new laws. “We should think about regulation before it becomes integrated with the financial system and before we could have a potential systemic problem,” he stressed. Sir Jon Cunliffe on Crypto Regulation Sir Jon Cunliffe, Bank of England (BOE)’s deputy governor for financial stability, talked about cryptocurrency in an interview with Sky News Thursday. He explained that the British central bank plans to step up its effort with new laws to regulate crypto trading following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX. “Trading of crypto assets was not big enough to destabilize the financial system, but it was starting to develop links,” Cunliffe said, elaborating: We had banks and investment funds and others who wanted to invest in it and I think we should think about regulation before it becomes integrated with the financi...

Tesla CEO and Twitter chief Elon Musk says the Federal Reserve’s recent rate hikes “might go down in history as most damaging ever.” The billionaire has urged the Fed to cut interest rates immediately, emphasizing that the U.S. central bank is “massively amplifying the probability of a severe recession.” Elon Musk on Fed Rate Hikes Tesla, Spacex, and Twitter boss Elon Musk warned Thursday about the damaging impact of the Federal Reserve rapidly raising interest rates. His warning was in reply to a tweet by former investment manager Genevieve Roch-Decter stating that “the Fed has never raised rates faster” than this year. Musk wrote: At the risk of being repetitive, these Fed rate increases might go down in history as most damaging ever. Roch-Decter also included a chart with her tweet showing that the Fed has hiked interest rates further and faster this year than at any other time in modern history. Many people agreed with Musk. “I agree, Elon. The mortgage industry is takin...

On Dec. 23, 2022, Matthew Russell Lee from the Inner City Press published the recently unsealed guilty plea transcript of Caroline Ellison, Alameda Research’s former CEO. In her statements, Ellison describes that she was the co-CEO and CEO of Alameda, and under those roles, she reported directly to the former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF). The ex-Alameda CEO’s testimony details that she was fully aware from 2019 to 2022, that Alameda Research had access to a special borrowing facility that allowed the company to maintain an unlimited line of credit with zero collateral. The ‘borrowing facility,’ according to Ellison, was FTX’s customer funds. Caroline Ellison Details FTX’s Misconduct With Alameda and the Co-Mingling of Customer Funds Started From the Very Beginning Following the unsealing of Caroline Ellison’s plea deal, Inner City Press reporter Matthew Russell Lee published a tweet storm that featured screenshots of Ellison’s unsealed guilty plea transcript. Russell Lee said ...

President Jair Bolsonaro has approved law 14.478, which regulates cryptocurrency-related operations and virtual asset service providers (VASPs) in Brazil. The document, approved on the last day of the period allowed, will begin to be applied 180 days after its sanction. This will give all parties a period to adapt to compliance. Cryptocurrency Law Finally Sanctioned in Brazil Brazil has, at last, approved its cryptocurrency law in the nick of time. After having completed almost the whole period for taking action, President Jair Bolsonaro signed bill 14.478 into law on Dec. 21, when it was published in the Official Journal of the Union, the government publication of the country. With Bolsonaro’s sanction, exchanges and other organizations subject to the law will have 180 days to prepare to comply with the new directives. However, if Bolsonaro had not sanctioned the law, the project would have returned to Congress, with the opportunity of being sanctioned by the Senate and the Deput...

Authorities in Italy and Albania have hit a fraud scheme enticing victims with promises of low-risk investments in cryptocurrencies. During an operation coordinated by Eurojust, investigators from the two countries searched a dozen locations and seized assets and computer equipment. Fraudsters Contacted Investors From a Call Center in Tirana, Albania Law enforcement officers in Italy and Albania have taken down an online fraud scheme offering fake investment opportunities related to cryptocurrencies. The investigation was carried out with the support of Eurojust, the EU agency responsible for judicial cooperation in Europe. Authorities participating in the joint operation have seized €3 million (almost $3.2 million) worth of assets from the crime group that organized the scam. The total losses resulting from its activities have been estimated at €15 million (over $15.9 million), Eurojust detailed in a press release. The perpetrators operated a call center in the Albanian capital ...

The province of Buenos Aires in Argentina will begin taxing cryptocurrency mining and possibly staking, in 2023. A new proposal modifies the tax law to introduce cryptocurrency mining as a taxable activity that will levy 4% on the income calculated via these operations. However, it is still unclear if staking will be taxed. Buenos Aires Adds Cryptocurrency Mining as Taxable Activity The province of Buenos Aires in Argentina approved a project to add cryptocurrency mining as a taxable activity for the next year. A document , presented by the governor of the province, Alex Kicillof, establishes that the activity formally described as “Processing and validation services for crypto assets and/or cryptocurrency transactions (crypto asset and/or cryptocurrency mining)” will require a 4% aliquot over income produced in these operations. The taxes would be paid to the government of the province, and would not be related to any other taxes established by the Argentine national government. T...

The governor of India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has warned that the next financial crisis will come from cryptocurrencies, like bitcoin and ether. The central bank chief added that cryptocurrencies pose “huge inherent risks” to India’s macroeconomic and financial stability. Indian Central Bank Warns About Crypto Causing the Next Financial Crisis Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das warned about the danger of cryptocurrency Wednesday. The central banker cautioned: Cryptocurrencies have … huge inherent risks for our macroeconomic and financial stability. The RBI is primarily concerned about cryptocurrencies having no underlying value, Das clarified, emphasizing that crypto is “speculative” and should be banned. Indian authorities refer to any non-government-issued cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin and ether, as “private” cryptocurrencies. Commenting on crypto trading, Das said: It is a hundred percent speculative activity, and I would stil...

A U.S. senator has introduced a bill to “establish the first federal regulatory framework for payment stablecoins.” The lawmaker explained: “This bill will also ensure the Federal Reserve, which has displayed significant skepticism about stablecoins, won’t be in a position to stop this activity.” Stablecoin TRUST Act of 2022 U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, introduced the “Stablecoin Transparency of Reserves and Uniform Safe Transactions Act of 2022” on Wednesday. The bill is also known as the “ Stablecoin TRUST Act of 2022 .” According to the lawmaker, the legislation would “establish the first federal regulatory framework for payment stablecoins and guide Congress towards a path for sensible regulation of cryptocurrencies.” Senator Toomey opined: I hope this framework lays the groundwork for my colleagues to pass legislation next year safeguarding customer funds without inhibiting innovation … This bi...

After close to two years, following the U.S. federal government accusing the Crypto Six of unlicensed money transmission, the case is seemingly coming to an end. According to multiple reports, Keene resident and libertarian activist, Ian Freeman, the last member of the Crypto Six case to be tried, was found guilty on all counts which included unlicensed money transmission, money laundering, and tax evasion. Freeman faces eight years in prison but he was not taken into custody on Thursday afternoon (ET). Reports detail that he must appear for sentencing on April 14, 2023, or appeal the verdict. Ian Freeman Found Guilty of Unlicensed Money Transmission, Sentencing Hearing Scheduled for April 2023 During the first week of Dec. 2022, Bitcoin.com News reported on the Crypto Six case and how the co-host of the radio broadcast Free Talk Live, Ian Freeman, was preparing to head to trial. Freeman was the only defendant left that remained in the Crypto Six case, as he decided to take the iss...

Paxful, a New York-based, peer-to-peer (P2P) cryptocurrency exchange, will drop Ethereum trading from its platform on Dec. 22. Ray Youssef, CEO of the company, cited different reasons for this decision, with increased centralization and the recent consensus mechanism pivot amongst them. Youssef also stated that tokens built on top of Ethereum have been primarily scams. P2P Exchange Paxful Drops Ethereum Paxful, a New York-based, peer-to-peer cryptocurrency exchange, has announced that it will drop Ethereum from its platform. The announcement was made via email, and then using social networks, by Paxful’s CEO Ray Youssef, who stated that the changes the token has undergone recently have changed it into a “digital form of fiat.” Youssef explained that one of the first reasons behind this action has to do with the pivot that Ethereum executed, changing from a proof-of-work consensus mechanism like the one Bitcoin also implements, to a proof-of-stake mechanism. Youssef explained that ...

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance is behind an initiative to qualify university students in Kazakhstan to work in the industry. Under an agreement with the government, the blockchain course will be added to the curricula of higher education institutions across the country. Binance Exchange to Help Teach Blockchain at Kazakhstan’s Universities The world’s largest crypto exchange, Binance, is launching an education program in Kazakhstan. The trading platform is preparing to provide blockchain training to more than 40,000 students by 2026 at universities and colleges across the Central Asian nation, according to a press release published on Tuesday. Binance is partnering on the initiative with the Blockchain Center research lab established by the Center for the Development of Payment and Financial Technologies of the National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) and the Astana International Financial Centre ( AIFC ), the Ministry of Digital Development, and the Ministry of Education. The project w...

Despite the market conditions that prevailed in much of 2022, decentralized finance (defi) still demonstrated its greater scaling potential than that of the traditional financial industry, a new report has said. Even though the total value locked dropped from the peak of $180 billion in Dec. 2021, to just over $50 billion by end of Oct. 2022, certain sectors of the defi market still “show a very optimistic trend.” Decline in Total Value Locked According to Hashkey Capital’s end-of-year report, decentralized finance (defi) has the “potential to be many times more scalable than the traditional financial industry.” In addition to the scaling potential, defi protocols are resilient and are likely to emerge from black swan events such as the Terra luna/UST collapse unscathed, the report suggested. However, in the report titled Defi Ecosystem Landscape Report, Hashkey Capital — an end-to-end digital asset financial services group — acknowledged that unfavorable market conditions that l...

U.S. Congressman Warren Davidson has touted the self-custody of cryptocurrencies as the antidote to crypto exchange FTX’s fraud. He is pushing for his bill called “Keep Your Coins Act,” which aims to “protect self-custody from misguided attempts to restrict it.” U.S. Lawmaker Pushes for Self-Custody Congressman Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) has touted crypto self-custody following the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX. He tweeted Wednesday: Self-custody is the antidote to FTX’s fraud and my Keep Your Coins Act would protect self-custody from misguided attempts to restrict it. “Anyone attacking self-custody is telling you they oppose individual freedom,” the lawmaker added. Responding to a question on Twitter about why new laws are needed if people can already self custody today, the congressman replied: Current and previous Treasury secretaries have discussed banning what they call ‘self-hosted wallets’ — self-custody. Senator Elizabeth Warren and numerous other members of C...

On Dec. 21, 2022, U.S. attorney Damian Williams announced that the Southern District of New York (SDNY) Department of Justice (DOJ) filed charges against Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison and FTX co-founder Gary Wang. Williams declared that both Ellison and Wang have been cooperating with law enforcement officials. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also charged Wang and Ellison the same day, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) followed suit with charges. “Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang acknowledge liability,” the CFTC said in a statement on Wednesday. Wang and Ellison Are Cooperating With Law Enforcement U.S. attorney Damian Williams and the SDNY Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that the government has filed fraud charges against FTX co-founder Zixiao (Gary) Wang and Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison. “Both [Ellison and Wang] have pleaded guilty to [the] charges,” Williams told the press. “And they are both cooperating with the [SDNY]. ...

Guggenheim Partners CIO Scott Minerd believes there is going to be a crypto washout similar to the internet bubble. “There’s another shoe to drop,” he warned. Nonetheless, the executive is confident that the crypto industry will move forward despite the collapse of crypto exchange FTX. Guggenheim’s Scott Minerd Shares Crypto Outlook Guggenheim Partners Global Chief Investment Officer (CIO) Scott Minerd shared in an interview with Bloomberg last week his thoughts on the future of cryptocurrency following the implosion of crypto exchange in FTX. He was asked if he has confidence that bitcoin and crypto can move forward given the FTX fallout, subsequent contagion, and recent crypto market sell-offs. Minerd replied: “I do.” The CIO then proceeded to detail: “A year ago we were talking about crypto, and there were approximately 19,000 coins, to which my comment was, ‘this is mostly crap.'” He warned: There is going to be a washout. “Just like the internet bubble, we will have s...