Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken is shutting down services in Japan. The company explained that the current Japanese market conditions and a weak global crypto market do not justify the resources needed to further grow its business in Japan at this time. Kraken Exiting Japan Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken announced Wednesday that it has decided to “cease its operations in Japan and deregister from the Financial Services Agency (JFSA) as of January 31, 2023.” The company explained that the decision to exit the Japanese crypto market is part of its “efforts to prioritize resources and investments” in the areas that align with the company’s strategy and “will best position Kraken for long-term success.” The announcement details: Current market conditions in Japan in combination with a weak crypto market globally mean the resources needed to further grow our business in Japan aren’t justified at this time. “As a result, Kraken will no longer service clients in Japan through Payward A

Microstrategy is now holding approximately 132,500 bitcoin following its most recent purchases. This year, the world’s largest cryptocurrency has emerged as “the institutional-grade digital asset,” said Microstrategy founder Michael Saylor. Microstrategy Acquires More Bitcoin Nasdaq-listed Microstrategy Inc. announced Wednesday that it has purchased more bitcoin for its corporate treasury. Michael Saylor, the company’s founder and executive chairman, tweeted Wednesday: Microstrategy has increased its bitcoin holdings by ~2,500 BTC . As of 12/27/22 Microstrategy holds ~132,500 bitcoin acquired for ~$4.03 billion at an average price of ~$30,397 per bitcoin. In its filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Microstrategy clarified that the 2,500 coins were acquired between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24 by its wholly owned subsidiary Macrostrategy. The subsidiary bought approximately 2,395 BTC at an average price of $17,871 per coin between Nov. 1 and Dec. 21. It then so

After the publicly-listed bitcoin mining firm Argo Blockchain suspended trading on Nasdaq and the London Stock Exchange, the company said it would follow up the next day with an announcement. The following day, on Dec. 28, 2022, Argo detailed it is selling its Helios facility to Galaxy Digital for $65 million, and the financially troubled business plans to refinance asset-backed loans with a new $35 million loan that stems from Galaxy. Galaxy Digital Purchases Texas Data Center From Argo Blockchain, Company Hopes Transactions Will ‘Enable the Company to Continue Operations’ Galaxy Digital is giving Argo Blockchain (Nasdaq: ARBK ) some fresh liquidity, according to a press announcement published by Argo on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022. Argo detailed that it is selling its Helios facility to Galaxy for $65 million. Galaxy has also agreed to host Argo’s fleet of Bitmain-manufactured S19J Pro bitcoin miners at the Helios facility. The Helios facility is located in Dickens County, Texas and

Gumi, a Japanese mobile gaming company, has partnered with Square Enix and SBI Holdings to build new business opportunities around the metaverse. The deal, which also includes the issuance of new stock valued at $52.7 million dollars, will allow the company to acquire financial and content creation experience. Gumi Raises $52.7 Million in Metaverse-Driven Alliance More and more gaming companies are looking to include metaverse elements in their games. Gumi, a Japanese gaming company focused on mobile entertainment, has announced a capital and business alliance with Square Enix , another Japan-based game developer, and SBI Holdings , one of the biggest financial service companies in Japan. The deal includes the issuance of new shares valued at $52.7 million, which will give SBI Holdings a 22.46% stake in the company, becoming the top shareholder. Square Enix will have a marginal stake of 3.01%, according to regulatory filings . Gumi’s target is the metaverse, and it declared that t

Venezuelan Banks have started eyeing the accounts of customers with ties to cryptocurrency trading, principally related to peer-to-peer (P2P) transaction activity. According to Legalrocks, a crypto and blockchain-focused legal firm in Venezuela, more than 75 accounts have been blocked by Venezuelan private banks for facilitating crypto-to-fiat and fiat-to-crypto conversions since the end of 2021. Venezuelan Banks Suspend Crypto-Related Accounts Venezuelan banks are ramping up vigilance on accounts that commonly are related to cryptocurrency transactions. According to a blog post published by Legalrocks, a Venezuelan law firm focused on cryptocurrency and blockchain, more than 75 cases of accounts that have been suspended or are under investigation have been registered since the end of 2021. Ana Ojeda, CEO of Legalrocks, states that using these accounts to receive fiat currency for a sale or exchange for cryptocurrency should not be considered a valid reason for blocking them. Howe

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has reiterated its warning about a very popular crypto investment scam called “pig butchering” that is sweeping across the U.S. “Be very careful when you go on social media and dating apps and somebody starts developing a relationship with you,” cautioned an FBI specialist. FBI Warns About Pig Butchering Crypto Scam The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has renewed its warning about the “pig butchering” cryptocurrency investment scam. Frank Fisher, public affairs specialist at the FBI’s Albuquerque division, warned that the pig butchering crypto scam “is sweeping the country,” CNN reported Monday, quoting him as saying: Be very careful when you go on social media and dating apps and somebody starts developing a relationship with you, and wants you to start investing … Don’t get butchered. In pig butchering schemes, scammers “fatten up the pig by getting the victim to think that they’re investing in something and get them to move mone

The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has advised investors against transacting with unlicensed cryptocurrency exchanges. The warning followed the collapse of crypto exchange FTX which “left hundreds of thousands, even millions of unsecured creditors with little to no recourse in recovering their money,” the regulator stressed. Philippine SEC Warns About Unregulated Crypto Exchanges The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued an advisory Friday warning the public against transacting with unregistered cryptocurrency exchanges. The regulator wrote: SEC strongly warns and advises the public against transacting with unregistered and unlicensed cryptocurrency exchanges reachable and deemed operating in the Philippines. The advisory followed the collapse of crypto exchange FTX which “left hundreds of thousands, even millions of unsecured creditors with little to no recourse in recovering their money,” the Philippine SEC described. The regulator pr

The famous author of the best-selling book Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, says now may be the last chance to buy gold and silver at low prices. “Inflation moving up. Interest rates moving up. Stock market to crash sending gold and silver higher,” Kiyosaki described. Robert Kiyosaki Expects Gold and Silver to Soar When Stock Market Crashes The author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, says the prices of gold and silver are about to soar. 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. Kiyosaki tweeted Monday that the price of gold is now over $1,800 while silver is over $24, adding: Inflation moving up. Interest rates moving up. Stock market to crash sending gold and silver higher. May be last chance to buy gold and silver at these low prices. The Rich Dad Poor Dad

Bitcoin miner Argo Blockchain announced that it requested the suspension of trading its company shares on Dec. 27, as the company expects to make an announcement on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022. The company’s stock has lost 96.34% year-to-date and on Dec. 12, the bitcoin miner “advanced negotiations with a third party to sell certain assets” in order to “strengthen its balance sheet and improve its liquidity.” Argo Blockchain Requested a Suspension of Stock Trading Pending an Official Announcement On Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022, the publicly-listed bitcoin miner Argo Blockchain (Nasdaq: ARBK ) announced that it has requested the suspension of trading its shares via Nasdaq and the London Stock Exchange as well. Argo detailed that it believes trading will resume after the company makes an important announcement on Dec. 28. Argo disclosed that the announcement is “expected to be released before [the] opening of trading on Wednesday.” Argo is one of many bitcoin mining operations that has suff

A major cryptocurrency mining pool has been hit by hackers earlier this month, the company who owns the pool revealed in an announcement. The incident resulted in the theft of digital assets belonging to the pool and its clients worth a combined total of $3 million. Chinese Authorities Launch Investigation Into Crypto Mining Pool Hack A subsidiary of the coin minting company Bit Mining has been targeted in a hacking attack, the company said in a press release. The affected entity is a leading bitcoin mining pool, Btc.com , which in the past week accounted for over 2.5% of the pool distribution and has a share exceeding 4% on annual basis. According to the announcement published Monday, Dec. 26, the platform was hit on Dec. 3, 2022. As a result, $2.3 million worth of digital assets owned by the company and another $700,000 in asset value belonging to its clients were stolen. The cyberattack has been reported to law enforcement in Shenzhen, China on Dec. 23. The Chinese authorities

For more than 50 days or since Nov. 5, 2022, bitcoin, ethereum, and stablecoin owners removed roughly $19.19 billion in crypto assets from centralized exchanges. Between Nov. 5 to Dec. 26, roughly 356,848 bitcoin and 4.48 million ether were withdrawn from a myriad of crypto trading platforms worldwide. $6 Billion in Bitcoin, Over $5 Billion in Ether, and More Than $7 Billion in Stablecoin Assets Were Removed From Centralized Exchanges in 51 Days Since the onset of FTX’s collapse on Nov. 5, 2022, a great number of bitcoin ( BTC ) and ethereum ( ETH ) have left exchanges. Statistics from cryptoquant.com indicate that since that day 51 days ago, 356,848 BTC worth $6.02 billion, using current bitcoin exchange rates, has been removed. The near two-month span was the largest number of bitcoin and ethereum withdrawals all year. Currently, on Dec. 26, 2022, cryptoquant.com metrics show there’s 2,151,925 BTC held on centralized exchanges. 51 days ago on Nov. 5, around 2,508,773 bitcoin

The Argentine Soccer Association, AFA, has partnered with Upland, a virtual world platform, to introduce its fans to the metaverse. Upland will allow Argentine fans to have a bigger connection with AFA history, presenting the opportunity to acquire digital representations of several properties of the league, including clubs, games, historical moments, and even tickets. Argentine Soccer Association AFA to Establish a Presence in the Metaverse The Argentine Soccer Association, AFA, the institution that manages the national soccer league, is now entering the metaverse. The organization has partnered with Upland, a real-life mapping metaverse project, to allow its users to enter the metaverse and experience the benefits of a closer connection with teams and celebrated players. According to a press release issued by the AFA, Upland’s partnership will include digital representations of all the teams of the league, including players, tickets, games, historical moments, and exclusive mome

Senegalese-American artist, Akon, reportedly reassured participants in his so-called token of appreciation (TOA) that they will be reimbursed for donations. To back this promise, the singer reportedly claimed he is even willing to do “a world tour just to pay them all back.” Akon, however, conceded during an interview that he should “have gotten more things in place before promoting it [Akon City].” Singer Ready to Do a World Tour for Token Holders Rhythm and blues (R&B) singer and music producer, Akon, reportedly promised to reimburse disillusioned supporters who have been waiting for refunds from his token of appreciation (TOA) campaign. The Senegalese-American artist also told TOA holders that he is prepared to use his own funds to ensure this promise is honored. “I’m dead serious. I would do a world tour just to pay them all back,” the award-winning artist reportedly said. Launched in 2019, Akon’s TOA was given to his early financial backers. The TOA was not only a precurs

Crypto trading volumes in India have plunged significantly this year. The FTX meltdown has exacerbated the problem, hurting “the sentiment across crypto tokens.” Local crypto experts are not expecting a recovery in the near future “Unless something dramatic happens” in the upcoming Union Budget. Indian Crypto Market ‘Dead’ Since April, Says Expert Cryptocurrency trading volumes at major exchanges in India have plunged significantly this year. Since the collapse of crypto exchange FTX, major exchanges in India lost between 34% and 50% of trading volumes, Moneycontrol reported Monday, citing data from research firm Crebaco. However, the decline began long before the FTX implosion. One of the largest crypto trading platforms in India, Wazirx, lost 97.99% of its trading volumes from the beginning of the year to Dec. 22. Crebaco CEO Sidharth Sogani told the publication: I don’t think a lot of this recent trading volume plunge was driven by FTX. The market in India has been dead since

Banking giant HSBC has filed trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a wide range of digital currency products and services, including those related to the metaverse and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). HSBC’s Trademark Applications for Crypto-Related Products and Services HSBC has filed two crypto-related trademark applications for its name and logo with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Mike Kondoudis, a USPTO-licensed trademark attorney, noted in a tweet Friday that HSBC’s trademark applications indicate the bank’s plans for a number of digital products and services, including those related to the exchange and transfer of virtual currencies. HSBC’s crypto-related trademark applications were filed on Dec. 15; their serial numbers are 97718803 and 97718583. The bank described a wide range of products and services in its applications, including sending, receiving, converting, and storing digital currencies. The tradema

The Brazilian Securities Commission CVM has cleared the path for funds to dive into cryptocurrency-based investments. The institution issued a new set of rules that allows financial investment funds to invest in cryptocurrency tokens with the equivalent protections offered to other investment assets such as stocks and bonds, opening new markets for these companies. Brazilian Securities Commission CVM Regulates Cryptocurrency Investment for Funds Brazil has given one more step for the regularization and adoption of cryptocurrencies as investment instruments. The Brazilian Securities Commission has approved a new set of rules that now allow established funds to invest in cryptocurrency, opening a new market for these institutions. The norms, which were passed after President Jair Bolsonaro sanctioned a cryptocurrency law last week, regulate crypto investments in a way in which these companies will be able to enjoy the same protections available for other investment assets such as s

The Argentine Peso has experienced a sudden fall vs the U.S. dollar, falling to a 5-month low in its blue rate, one of the many parallel exchange rates of the country. The reasons for this fall, besides the abundance of pesos due to holiday-related payments, and the battle between President Alberto Fernandez and Argentine courts. Argentine Peso Falls Sharply Against the US Dollar The Argentine peso is facing a sudden downturn that has taken the value of the currency to historic lows. On Dec. 23, local media informed one of the informal exchange rates of the currency vs the U.S. dollar, denominated “blue dollar,” had reached the 340 pesos mark. This marks a 5-month low after a period in which the peso maintained its value relatively steady. The last time that the peso plunged in this way was in July when the country was also submerged in a period of political instability with the resignation of Finance Minister Martin Guzman. The historical minimum exchange rate is 350 pesos per

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Thor Technologies and its co-founders with conducting an unregistered securities offering. In 2018, the company minted and sold tokens to raise funds for its ‘gig economy platform,’ the development of which had not even started at the time. U.S. Securities Regulator Accuses Thor Technologies’ Management of Conducting Unregistered ICO The Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States has charged Thor Technologies, its co-founder and CEO David Chin and Matthew Moravec, co-founder and former CTO, with carrying out an unregistered offering of securities through an initial coin offering ( ICO ). Chin and his company are accused of selling ‘Thor tokens’ to the general public to attract funding for the business which was supposed to build a software platform for the ‘gig economy’ workers and firms, the SEC’s complaint reveals. The regulator details that the digital assets were marketed as an investment opportunity. T

Gold bug and economist Peter Schiff has recommended selling bitcoin today, emphasizing that it is “the smart move.” Many people disagreed with Schiff’s analysis of the price of the cryptocurrency, warning that he is telling investors to sell at the bottom. Peter Schiff’s Bitcoin Advice Gold bug and economist Peter Schiff has a Christmas message for bitcoin investors. Schiff is the founder and current chairman of Schiffgold, a precious metals dealer specializing in gold and silver bullion. He has long been a bitcoin skeptic, regularly bashing the crypto while promoting gold. He tweeted Sunday: My Christmas gift to HODLers is this bitcoin chart. As you can see bitcoin is much closer to its ceiling than its floor. The yellow line that was once support is now resistance. Since the upside potential is so low and downside risk so high, the smart move is to sell today. While some people thanked Schiff for his advice, many criticized the economist for telling people to sell at the bott

Shark Tank star and the owner of the NBA team Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, says bitcoin is a good investment. The billionaire wants the price of the cryptocurrency to fall further so he can buy some more. Meanwhile, he insulted gold investors, calling them “dumb as f***.” Mark Cuban Prefers Bitcoin Over Gold Shark Tank star and the billionaire owner of the NBA team Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, shared his thoughts about bitcoin and gold in an episode of the “Club Random” podcast, hosted by comedian Bill Maher and scheduled to be aired Monday. Maher said he is “ very anti-bitcoin ” and believes in the value of gold. Commenting on gold investing, the Dallas Mavericks owner opined : If you have gold, you’re dumb as f***. The podcast host proceeded to argue that gold “never goes away” and is “like a hedge against everything else.” Cuban replied: No, but it’s not a hedge against anything, right? What it is is the stored value and you don’t own the physical gold, do you? … Gold is

Tesla CEO and Twitter chief Elon Musk has confirmed that the social media company is no longer “in the fast lane to bankruptcy.” Nonetheless, the billionaire emphasized that there is still much work to do on the platform. “But overall it seems to be going in a good direction.” Twitter Won’t Go Bankrupt Anytime Soon, Says Elon Musk Tesla CEO and Twitter chief Elon Musk revealed over the weekend that Twitter will not be filing for bankruptcy anytime soon. He said on the All-In podcast Saturday: We’ve got the expenses reasonably under control, so the company’s not in the fast lane to bankruptcy anymore. “It has been quite a roller coaster,” he added. “It has its highs and lows, to say the least, but overall it seems to be going in a good direction.” Following the podcast, Musk tweeted clarifying that Twitter is not secure yet and there is still “much work to do.” The Twitter boss further shared on the podcast: “My error rate and sort of being the chief twit will be less over tim