Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

You know what they say, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” But when it comes to protecting your crypto funds on centralized exchanges (CEXes), the old adage should be “when life gives you regulations, make a self-custody wallet.” Self-custody is undoubtedly a better solution for protecting the interests of customers in crypto. Regulation alone is not enough. The following opinion editorial was written by Joseph Collement, General Counsel at Bitcoin.com. Don’t get us wrong, regulation is important. It’s like a flimsy umbrella on a sunny day – better than nothing, but not something you want to rely on during a monsoon. Just ask the folks at Gemini, who despite being the “most regulated” CEX out there, still managed to lose all of their “Earn” customer money. Talk about “earn-ing” a bad reputation! Ouch. But let’s be real here, the crypto world is like the Wild West. And let’s be honest, the U.S. Government is like the sheriff who just got to town, trying to make sense of t...

The host of Mad Money, Jim Cramer, has advised investors to avoid crypto and stick with gold if they “seriously want a real hedge against inflation or economic chaos.” He added that bitcoin is too volatile to use as a currency. “Imagine business owners trying to conduct transactions with shares of Facebook or Google … it’s ridiculous,” he stressed. Jim Cramer Prefers Gold to Crypto The host of CNBC’s Mad Money show, Jim Cramer, gave some investment advice regarding gold and cryptocurrencies on Monday. Cramer is a former hedge fund manager who co-founded Thestreet.com, a financial news and literacy website. He believes that investors should stay away from cryptocurrencies despite bitcoin’s recent gains. Referencing charts interpreted by Decarley Trading’s senior commodity strategist and options broker, Carley Garner, Cramer emphasized that investors “need to ignore the crypto cheerleaders now that bitcoin’s bouncing.” He proceeded to advise: If you seriously want a real hedge agai...

Economist and gold bug Peter Schiff has explained why bitcoin and gold are going up this year. “They’re rising for opposite reasons,” he said, claiming that the price of gold is climbing as investors view the metal as a hedge against inflation and a weaker dollar. Peter Schiff Explains Why Bitcoin and Gold Are Rising Gold bug and economist Peter Schiff has shared his view on why bitcoin and gold are going up this year. 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 Monday: Both gold and bitcoin are up in 2023, but they’re rising for opposite reasons. “Gold is rising as a hedge against inflation and a weaker dollar, while bitcoin is rising with other high-risk assets as speculators bet that a Fed pivot will cause a rally in 2022’s biggest losers,” the economist detailed. A number of people on Twitter disagr...

Seven major banks, including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo, have reportedly teamed up to launch a digital wallet that will compete with other third-party wallet providers such as Paypal and Apple Pay. Big Banks to Launch a Digital Wallet Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and four other financial institutions behind the payment network Zelle are collaborating to launch a digital wallet for consumers to use at online checkout, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. The wallet will be managed by fintech firm Early Warning Services (EWS), which owns and operates Zelle. EWS provides risk management solutions to financial institutions, government entities, and payment companies. It is co-owned by Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Truist, Capital One, PNC Bank, and U.S. Bank. The new digital wallet, which will be linked to shoppers’ debit and credit cards for online payments, will operate separately from Zelle. The banks aim to compete with o...

Brazil and Argentina are looking to begin work on the issuance of a common currency. Sergio Massa, minister of the economy of Argentina, also stated that the two countries will be inviting other nations in the area to join this economic integration project in the future. Brazil and Argentina to Spearhead Common Currency Issuance Project Ministries of Brazil and Argentina will be discussing the first steps to issue a common bilateral currency. According to statements given by the minister of the economy of Argentina, Sergio Massa, representatives of both countries will be discussing this subject at the CELAC summit in Buenos Aires on Jan. 24. Massa told Financial Times that the discussion would revolve around initial considerations for the issuance of the coin that would be called “sur,” Spanish for south. Massa stated: There will be … a decision to start studying the parameters needed for a common currency, which includes everything from fiscal issues to the size of the economy ...

Members of the crypto community have been discussing the number of bitcoins that have been bridged over to the Avalanche network, which is now larger than the total value locked on the Lightning Network. At the time of writing, there are 5,493 bitcoins circulating on the Avalanche blockchain, while the Lightning Network holds 5,248 bitcoins. Number of Bitcoin Bridged to Avalanche Climbs Past Lightning Network Capacity This past week digital currency advocates have been discussing the rising number of bitcoin ( BTC ) bridged over to the Avalanche (AVAX) network. Seven days ago, the crypto asset known as BTCb saw its supply surpass the number of bitcoins locked on the Lightning Network (LN). The reason for the celebration is that it took much less time to beat the LN’s total value locked (TVL) or capacity . At the time of writing, the LN has around 5,248 bitcoin TVL , which is worth around $120 million using today’s BTC prices. A week ago on Jan. 16, an Avalanche (AVAX) supporter...

The latest round of layoffs at Microsoft, which announced it will cut 10,000 jobs this year, has hit key teams for its VR (virtual reality) and metaverse efforts, according to reports. The company will close two projects in these areas, Altspacevr and the Mixed Reality Tool Kit, potentially affecting the progress of Microsoft in these areas. Microsoft VR and Metaverse Teams Hit by Layoffs The latest round of layoffs announced by Microsoft on Jan. 18, has reportedly hit metaverse and VR (virtual reality) initiatives of the company, potentially affecting progress in these areas. Among the 10,000 jobs to be cut this year, representing 5% of Microsoft’s global workforce, teams behind initiatives like Altspacevr and the Mixed Reality Tool Kit are being axed as part of this reorganization process. Altspacevr, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2017, has already announced it will sunset its platform on March 10. The platform, which was aimed at providing services to facilitate the crea...

Crypto adoption achieved new milestones in 2022, with the number of crypto owners reaching 425 million during the year, a new report by Crypto.com shows. Moreover, the report reveals that the number of bitcoin owners reached 219 million in December while the number of ether owners reached 87 million. Cryptocurrency Adoption Achieves New Milestones Crypto.com published a report titled “Crypto Market Sizing” for the year 2022 last week. The company explained that its analysis is built on a combination of Bitcoin and Ethereum on-chain data, survey analysis, and its own internal data. Regarding the total number of global crypto owners, the firm’s Research and Insights team wrote that “in spite of macro headwinds,” namely high inflation, the conflict in Europe, supply chain disruptions, and lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic: Crypto adoption in 2022 achieved new milestones, with the number of crypto owners reaching 425 million (December 2022). The overall number of crypto o...

Singapore’s senior minister and the chairman of the central bank, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), says there should be just “ one regulatory system” for both crypto and traditional finance. In addition, he stressed that regulators should provide “ultra clarity as to what’s an unregulated market,” so investors are aware that they go in at their own risk. ‘One Regulatory System’ Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Singapore’s senior minister who is also the chairman of the country’s central bank, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), talked about cryptocurrency regulation during a panel discussion with other regulators and bankers at the World Economic Forum last week. Shanmugaratnam previously served as Singapore’s deputy prime minister and the minister for finance. He is also currently the coordinating minister for social policies and adviser to the prime minister on economic policies. “Something is very clear, whether it’s crypto or traditional finance, you gotta regulate ...

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) minister of state for foreign trade says that cryptocurrency “will play a major role for UAE trade going forward.” He stressed: “The most important thing is that we ensure global governance when it comes to cryptocurrencies and crypto companies.” Crypto to Play a Major Role in the UAE United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani Al Zeyoudi talked about cryptocurrency Friday during an interview with Bloomberg in Davos, Switzerland. He shared that one area the UAE is looking to expand is cryptocurrencies, adding: Crypto will play a major role for UAE trade going forward. “The most important thing is that we ensure global governance when it comes to cryptocurrencies and crypto companies,” Al Zeyoudi described. “We started attracting some of the companies to the country with the aim that we’ll build together the right governance and legal system, which are needed,” the official noted. Omar Sultan Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for...

Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, has given his opinion about the metaverse and the impact that the tech might have in the future. In a conversation with Klaus Schwab, chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Nadella stated that the sense of presence achieved while interacting using metaverse tech is “game-changing.” Microsoft’s Satya Nadella Talks Metaverse Benefits Satya Nadella, CEO of tech giant Microsoft, has declared his support for the metaverse, citing its potential to bring people together compared to other less interactive technologies. In a conversation with Klaus Shwab, chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), held as part of the Davos 2023 meetings, Nadella praised the benefits that using this tech brings. Nadella stated: For me, the thing that is most game-changing for this particular technology is the sense of presence one has, which is when you are even virtually interacting. Nadella believes that, while Covid-19 changed the environment when it comes to me...

The company developing China’s blockchain network wants to create a system for international settlements with stablecoins and state-issued digital currencies. The plan is to establish a platform facilitating the use of these two fiat-based digital assets in foreign trade. Company Behind China’s Blockchain Push Aims to Make Stablecoins and State Coins Interoperable Hong Kong-based Red Date Technology, the designer of China’s state-backed Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN), has launched a new project to implement both stablecoins and central bank digital currencies ( CBDCs ) in cross-border payments. The initiative was announced this week at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, the South China Morning Post reported. The future platform, called Universal Digital Payments Network (UDPN), should ensure the interoperability between the two types of tokens. The goal is to allow businesses from different countries to “transact and settle in different regulated digital...

The Bank of Spain has given approval for the launch of a pilot program involving the issuance and usage of euro-pegged stablecoins. The program, which MONEI, a fintech institution, is launching, will allow users to issue digital euros with fiat deposits in order to experiment with these in payment applications, increasing their transparency. Bank of Spain Authorizes Digital Euro Token Tests Europe is becoming a hotspot for stablecoins and CBDC (central bank digital currency) experimentation. On Jan. 19, the Bank of Spain greenlighted a pilot program that involves the issuance of euro-pegged digital tokens. The project, which is being spearheaded by MONEI, a regulated fintech payments company, will allow users to issue their own euro stablecoins for different purposes. Using Ethereum and Polygon blockchain technology, the eurm token will be issued with deposits coming from users, with each token being backed by real euros. The test, inscribed as part of the actions in the financial...

Philippine authorities say that they have rescued alleged victims of a “crypto trafficking ring” who were recruited to work in a call center in Cambodia and scam people out of their cryptocurrencies. The authorities are also investigating government employees who may have assisted crypto trafficking syndicates. Alleged Victims of ‘Crypto Trafficking Ring’ Rescued The Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI)’s travel control and enforcement unit (TCEU) announced Friday that it has rescued six alleged victims of a “cryptocurrency trafficking ring,” the Philippine government-owned news agency reported. Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Norman Garcera Tansingco explained that BI officers intercepted the alleged victims as they were about to board a plane to Phnom Penh on Jan. 15. Noting that these passengers had fake return tickets, the commissioner said they gave “inconsistent answers” to questions asked by BI officers, “which raised suspicions that they were merely disguised as tourist...

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) says it has seized bitcoin worth millions of dollars from overseas scammers targeting the elderly. The scammers posed as members of U.S. law enforcement agencies and tricked the victims into transferring money to them for “safekeeping.” FBI Says It Has Seized Bitcoin From Scammers Overseas The U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut and the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced Friday that bitcoin and other digital assets have been seized in connection with a fraudulent scheme targeting the elderly. They detailed: An investigation of a fraud scheme targeting vulnerable victims has resulted in the forfeiture of approximately 151 bitcoins, as well as other digital assets. The case is being investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Marshals Service. At the time of writing, the value of the allegedly seized bitcoin totaled approximately $3.5 ...

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have charged an alleged attacker who stole $116 million from crypto trading platform Mango Markets. The defendant has been arrested and is currently detained in Puerto Rico. Mango Markets Manipulator Arrested, Detained The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced Friday that it has charged Avraham Eisenberg with “orchestrating an attack on a crypto asset trading platform, Mango Markets, by manipulating the MNGO token.” The regulator noted that the crypto token was offered and sold as a security. The defendant is a 27-year-old U.S. citizen who is facing “parallel criminal and civil charges” brought by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), respectively, the SEC added. The CFTC filed a civil enforcement action against Eisenberg on Jan. 9. He has been arrested and detained at MDC Guayn...

The financial monitoring agency of Ukraine has restricted access to a number of online crypto exchangers operating out of Russia. Some of the coin trading platforms are working with sanctioned Russian banks, the regulatory body announced in a report. Ukrainian Financial Authorities Target Russian Crypto Exchange Websites and Wallets The State Financial Monitoring Service (SFMS), a unit of Ukraine’s financial intelligence, has issued a special report on the results of its operations in 2022. Besides its peacetime activities such as combating money laundering, the agency revealed it has contributed to the country’s defense effort as part of the ongoing conflict with Russia. In the document published this week, the watchdog announced its employees have joined forces with colleagues from the Ministry of Digital Transformation and leading Ukrainian crypto experts. Together, they were able to identify Russian crypto exchanges associated with Russian financial institutions placed under ...

A Kenyan fintech that digitizes credit unions, Kwara, is reported to have raised $3 million via a seed extension round that was backed by DOB Equity, Globivest, and Willard Ahdritz. The latest round brings to $7 million the amount of capital that the fintech has now raised via this funding round. Kwara’s Client Base Kwara, the Kenyan fintech targeting the financially excluded, has reportedly raised a $3 million seed extension and has signed a digital solutions distribution agreement with an organization representing Kenyan cooperatives. The fintech, which more than doubled its client base in 2023, said it hopes to fund its growth with the capital raised. According to a Techcrunch report , existing investors participating in the startup’s seed extension round include DOB Equity, Globivest, and Willard Ahdritz. Also joining the fintech’s latest funding round were One Day Yes and Base Capital. The chief financial officer of Revolut, Mikko Salovaara, is reported to have joined this rou...

A leading marketplace on the dark web, Solaris, has been hit by a rival, according to crypto analytics company Elliptic. The Russia-linked platform, which tried to occupy space vacated by the busted Hydra, is believed to have conquered up to a fifth of the illicit market before the hack. Solaris Allegedly Taken Over by Darknet Marketplace Called Kraken Solaris, a major marketplace for drugs and other illicit products, has been targeted in a hacking attack carried out by a similar enterprise, Kraken, not to be confused with the well-known cryptocurrency exchange with the same name. After in April last year law enforcement authorities shut down Hydra, the former leader in this business, seizing its servers in Germany and arresting an alleged operator in Russia, Solaris managed to gain between 20% and 25% market share, according to estimates quoted by Elliptic. This week, the blockchain forensics company reported that since Friday, Jan. 13, those who visited the onionsite were bein...

Bank of America says “digital currencies appear inevitable,” adding that central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and stablecoins are “a natural evolution of today’s monetary and payment systems.” The bank expects “private sector beneficiaries to emerge in all phases of CBDC implementation.” Bank of America on Future of Money and Payments Bank of America (BOA)’s global research team published a report on global cryptocurrencies, digital assets, and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) earlier this week. The bank wrote: Digital currencies appear inevitable. We view distributed ledgers and digital currencies, such as CBDCs and stablecoins, as a natural evolution of today’s monetary and payment systems. “Our view is CBDCs that leverage distributed ledger technology have the potential to revolutionize global financial systems and may be the most significant technological advancement in the history of money,” BOA described. The report explains that there are currently 114 central ...

The host of Mad Money, Jim Cramer, has thanked Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler for standing up to the “crypto bullies” who want the regulator to approve a spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). Cramer has repeatedly warned about the SEC cracking down on uncompliant crypto firms, urging investors to get out of the asset class now. Jim Cramer Praises SEC Chairman Gary Gensler The host of CNBC’s Mad Money show, Jim Cramer, has thanked the chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gary Gensler, for not approving a spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). Cramer is a former hedge fund manager who co-founded Thestreet.com, a financial news and literacy website. The Mad Money host tweeted Friday: Thank you, SEC Chief Gary Gensler for standing up to the crypto bullies who wanted an ETF. They could have been blown to kingdom come by Genesis Global, now filing for bankruptcy. Crypto lender Genesis Global Capital LLC is part of a subs...