Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

BMW, the luxury car manufacturer, has partnered with Coinweb, a decentralized blockchain layer 2-based company, to introduce blockchain-based tools to its operations. The company will develop blockchain-based automation for vehicle financing processes, and also a rewards program for customers of the automotive company adapted to compliance processes in Thailand. BMW to Introduce Blockchain to Its Operations More companies are introducing blockchain processes as part of their operations due to the ostensible reliability of the tech and how it can help save on costs. On Dec. 29, BMW, the German car manufacturer, announced a partnership with Coinweb, a layer 2 (L2) blockchain interoperability protocol, to introduce blockchain-based processes to its operations. This alliance contemplates two different tasks. The first includes the development of a smart contracts platform with the objective of streamlining different processes that need to be completed for the financing of BMW-branded

Fidelity Investments, a major financial services firm with $10 trillion in assets under administration, has filed several trademark applications for a wide range of cryptocurrency, non-fungible token (NFT), and metaverse products and services. Fidelity’s Crypto and Metaverse Trademark Applications Fidelity Investments filed three trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) last week for a wide range of cryptocurrency, non-fungible token (NFT), and metaverse products and services. Fidelity has $9.6 trillion in assets under administration as of Sept. 30; the financial services firm serves about 40 million individual investors. Mike Kondoudis, a USPTO-licensed trademark attorney, tweeted Monday: Fidelity has plans for the metaverse! The company has filed 3 trademark applications covering NFTs + NFT marketplaces, metaverse investment services, virtual real estate investing, cryptocurrency trading, and more. The financial services giant’s tradem

The Securities Commission of the Bahamas has revealed that it seized digital assets worth more than $3.5 billion from the collapsed crypto exchange FTX. The regulator explained that the cryptocurrencies were transferred to its wallets “for safekeeping” and “are being held by the Commission on a temporary basis.” Bahamas Regulator Seizes FTX’s Cryptocurrencies The Securities Commission of the Bahamas (SCB) said Thursday that it has obtained a court order to transfer the digital assets owned by, or under the custody or control of, FTX Digital Markets Ltd. (FTXDM) to its secure wallets. FTX Digital Markets is the Bahamian subsidiary of Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX Trading Ltd., which owned and operated the crypto trading platform FTX.com. The regulator wrote that on Nov. 12: The Commission … took the action of directing the transfer of all digital assets under the custody or control of FTXDM or its principals, valued at more than US$3.5 billion, based on market pricing at the time of tra

Sudeban, the Venezuelan banking watchdog, is currently working on a mechanism to review crypto-related transactions in real-time to control the influence these have on the stability of the exchange market. Analysts have recently linked the situation in peer-to-peer (P2P) crypto markets to the recent drop in the value of the bolivar. Venezuelan Government to Monitor Crypto Transactions The Venezuelan government is aiming to monitor the the movements of crypto-based P2P exchanges to protect the value of the bolivar. On Dec. 20, the Venezuelan banking watchdog Sudeban explained that it is in the process of designing a system to monitor banking transactions in real-time, with the help of Sunacrip, the national cryptocurrency regulator. While no more details were offered, the organization explained the objective is to “fight the irregular practices that attack our currency and the stability of the exchange market.” This means that the government looks to be examining the link between t

Digital fiat currencies will spread next year while the U.S. dollar will be losing its status of global reserve currency, according to Russia’s former head of state. In a string of tweets, Dmitry Medvedev gave his two cents on what the future holds for the world, a “humble contribution,” as he put it, to the “wildest predictions” ahead of New Year’s Eve. Medvedev Sees World Bank Crashing, Musk in the White House and Expensive Oil The Bretton Woods monetary system will collapse next year causing the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to crash, according to the man who was at the helm of Russia for four years between two of Vladimir Putin’s presidential terms. “Euro and dollar will stop circulating as the global reserve currencies. Digital fiat currencies will be actively used instead” while “all the largest stock markets and financial activity will leave the U.S. and Europe and move to Asia,” Dmitry Medvedev stated on social media. Through a series of posts in a humoro

During her appearance before Nigerian lawmakers, Aisha Ahmad, the deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), told lawmakers that out of the nearly $1.8 billion used to manage the local currency, over 90% of this total was reportedly used to fund expenses associated with the production of banknotes. The Growing Cost of Maintaining the Naira According to Aisha Ahmad, the deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), between the years 2017 and 2021, the apex bank spent an equivalent of nearly $1.8 billion, or 800 billion naira, managing the local currency. The production of new banknotes alone accounted for more than 90% of this figure. As per remarks published by the Punch, Ahmad, in her recent appearance before Nigerian lawmakers, also claimed that the cost of maintaining the local currency has been increasing by over $22 million annually. Before Ahmad’s disclosure, Kingsley Moghalu, a former CBN deputy governor, had also told lawmakers that the central bank uses

Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary’s Twitter account was hacked Thursday and used to promote a bitcoin and ethereum giveaway scam. The scammers claimed that Mr. Wonderful is giving away 5,000 bitcoin and 15,000 ether, and anyone can participate. Kevin O’Leary’s ‘Fake’ Bitcoin and Ether Giveaways The official Twitter account for Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary, aka Mr. Wonderful, started promoting bitcoin and ethereum giveaways Thursday morning. The account tweeted claiming that O’Leary has made a lot of money from crypto over the last few years and he has decided to give away 5,000 bitcoin and 15,000 ether. The tweet also provides a link for anyone to join the cryptocurrency giveaway scam event. The O’Leary Twitter account further claimed that it is not hacked and the giveaways are not a scam. It also falsely claimed that Mr. Wonderful said on CNBC last night that he will away some cryptocurrencies for real. The link provided in the first tweet takes investors to a website claiming to

Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman says Tesla may have more in common with bitcoin than you think. He explained that Tesla sales have depended in part on the perception that CEO Elon Musk “is a cool guy” while the price of bitcoin is “being sustained by a hard-core group of true believers.” Paul Krugman Compares Tesla to Bitcoin Paul Krugman, who won the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel in 2008 for his analysis of trade patterns and location of economic activity, published an opinion piece in the New York Times Tuesday about Tesla, bitcoin, and their huge valuations. He wrote: Tesla and bitcoin may have more in common than you think. The economist explained that mega-corporations like Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon have maintained their dominance because these companies “benefit from strong network externalities — loosely speaking, everyone uses their products because everyone else uses their products.” However, “It’s hard to see what

After climbing to a high of 0.79 ether on Dec. 17, 2022, Donald Trump’s non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have dropped considerably in value over the last 12 days. On Dec. 29, 2022, Trump’s NFT collection has a floor value of 0.15 ether, which is around 81% lower than the floor value highs recorded last week. Trump Digital Collectibles Slide Significantly in Value Since the Launch, After Looking at the Art Trump Was Pleased With His 30-Inch Waistline The 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump, recently released 45,000 non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and during the first day of the sale, each NFT was sold for $99 per unit. Trump’s NFTs started trading on secondary NFT markets on Dec. 15, 2022 and had a floor value of around 0.1 ether or around $125 for the most inexpensive Trump NFTs. Two days later, Bitcoin.com News reported on how Trump’s NFTs skyrocketed in value after being mocked by a large number of left-leaning political commentators. The same day, on Dec. 17, 2022, Trump’s

The U.S dollar-Argentine peso exchange rate escalated during December, with the Argentine fiat currency reaching new historic lows as citizens ran to exchange their holiday payments for dollars. The U.S. dollar reached a value of 356 pesos on December 28, losing almost 10% during just one week, and threatening to spur a more significant inflationary jump. Argentine Peso Sinks to Lowest Level in History Argentina, one of the countries in Latam with active exchange control for foreign currencies, is facing difficulties maintaining the value of its fiat currency. The exchange between U.S. dollars and Argentine pesos reached historic levels, with the peso sinking to its lowest level ever on Dec. 28. The dollar reached a price of 356 pesos in its parallel cash denomination, also called “blue,” having closed November with a value of 314 pesos per U.S. dollar. The Argentine peso plummet accelerated last week when it lost more than 10% of its value. Since the start of 2022, the Argentine

The Central African Republic’s plan to list the sango coin in the last quarter of 2022 has been put on hold, while the scheduled unlocking of 5% of token holders’ portfolios has similarly been postponed, a statement from the team promoting the token has reportedly said. The decision to delay the listing of the coin was prompted by what the team terms “current market conditions.” Scheduled Token Unlocking Postponed Nearly eight months after becoming the first country in Africa to adopt bitcoin, the Central African Republic (CAR) recently said it will not proceed with the listing of its “Sango” crypto token as planned. In a statement reportedly posted in a sango coin Telegram group, the team promoting the token claimed that “current market conditions” had necessitated this decision. Besides the listing delay, the CAR team said the planned unlocking of up to 5% of sango holders’ portfolios had been postponed as well. According to the token information available on the official Sango

A blockchain platform built by Russia’s largest banking institution, Sber, has been used to issue digital assets based on gold. The value of the tokenized precious metal will depend on the prices of physical gold, the bank said, emphasizing that the operation is a first. Russia’s Sber Bank Mints Gold-Backed Coins Sber, Russia’s largest bank, has reported issuing gold-based digital financial assets (DFAs) on its proprietary blockchain. The coins were minted for Solfer, a holding specialized in the processing and trading of metals and making products from precious metals. The Russian law “On Digital Financial Assets,” which entered into force in January, 2021, allows companies to tokenize various assets. Sber Bank is one of three “information system operators” authorized by the Bank of Russia to issue DFAs, alongside Atomyze and Lighthouse . The latter conducted Russia’s first DFA issue in June of this year. The DFA issued for gold represents a monetary claim on the asset, Sber ex

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