Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

The chairman of a newly formed digital assets committee, U.S. Congressman French Hill, has outlined some priorities to regulate the crypto sector and ensure America is the place for fintech and blockchain innovation. “We want a regulatory framework that’s transparent for developers, investors, and potential consumers,” the lawmaker emphasized. US Lawmaker Shares Priorities on Crypto Regulation U.S. Congressman French Hill (R-AR), who was recently appointed chairman of the newly formed subcommittee on “Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion,” discussed several crypto-related priorities for his subcommittee in an interview with CNBC Thursday. Replying to a question about whether the U.S. should have a spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF), he explained that it is an area his subcommittee wants to explore. The congressman detailed: You’ll see us look at a privacy law, a federal privacy law … you will see us consider a stablecoin bill … you will see us explore what are...

A commissioner with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has called for “a coherent and consistent legal framework that works across all asset classes,” including crypto assets. She warned that the SEC’s current enforcement-centric approach would take 400 years to go through all the crypto tokens that are allegedly securities. SEC’s Commissioner on Crypto Regulation A commissioner with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Hester Peirce, talked about crypto regulation in her speech at the “Digital Assets at Duke” conference on Jan. 20. Noting that the securities regulator has “pursued registration violations in a seemingly random fashion, often years after the original offering,” the commissioner stressed: We must develop a coherent and consistent legal framework that works across all asset classes. Our imprecise application of the law has created arbitrary and destructive results for crypto projects and purchasers. “When we insist on applying the secu...

Goldman Sachs has ranked bitcoin the best-performing asset so far this year. The cryptocurrency also tops the global investment bank’s list as the asset with the highest risk-adjusted return — above gold, real estate, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq 100. Bitcoin Outshines Other Investments on Goldman’s Chart Global investment bank Goldman Sachs has reportedly ranked bitcoin the best-performing asset year-to-date (YTD). The Twitter account Documenting Bitcoin tweeted earlier this week: Bitcoin is the best performing asset in the world this year, according to latest data by Goldman Sachs. The tweet includes a market performance chart by Goldman Sachs showing the top 25 markets’ total returns as well as their year-to-date risk-adjusted returns. Bitcoin tops the total return list at 27%, followed by MSCI Emerging Markets Index at 8%. BTC also tops Goldman Sachs’ risk-adjusted return list, with a Sharpe Ratio of 3.1. The price of bitcoin has risen since the firm published its char...

PRESS RELEASE. LBank Exchange, a global digital asset trading platform, has listed Global Digital Cluster Coin (GDCC) on January 27, 2023. For all users of LBank Exchange, the GDCC/ USDT trading pair is now officially available for trading. With its new-age protocol and peer-to-peer network, Global Digital Cluster Coin (GDCC) restructures the concept of money and assets with cutting-edge technologies that have the potential to transform various industries and allow people to adapt crypto assets. Its native token GDCC will be listed on LBank Exchange at 8:00 UTC on January 27, 2023, to further expand its global reach and help it achieve its vision. Introducing Global Digital Cluster Coin Global Digital Cluster Coin (GDCC) is a new-age protocol that caters to web3.0 services and community-driven technology, allowing users to build their dApps and serving as a hub for digital assets, international payments, and applications. Because the protocol is open to all, anyone in the world w...

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in California is running a project to digitize all of its titles and put them on a blockchain. The project, which will use the Tezos blockchain and has the assistance of Oxhead Alpha, a crypto dev company, aims to allow users to transfer titles as NFTs in the future. Innovation Comes to the DMV in California The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in California is working to bring innovation to its tasks by decentralizing its functions. The institution is currently in the process of moving all of its registered titles to the blockchain, according to Ajay Gupta, the chief digital officer of the DMV in the state. The project, which started back in 2020 and stopped progress due to the pandemic, will produce a “shadow ledger” of all of the vehicle titles in the state, to modernize its registry and operations. The new system will be established on top of the Tezos blockchain and will be built in partnership with Oxhead Alpha, a cryptocurrency devel...

While the collapse of the crypto exchange FTX and its affiliate Alameda Research is thought to have left many crypto players, including market makers, in the worst possible position, according to Andrei Grachev, managing partner at DWF Labs, this incident may have helped to “flush out companies that were not sustainable enough to operate during a storm.” As a result, the “market will be healthier” going forward. The Art of Market Making Besides weeding out weak players, Andrei Grachev suggested in a written response to questions from Bitcoin.com News that the collapse of key crypto industry players like FTX and Terra has highlighted the importance of adopting measures that protect users. One such measure, which can be used by global digital asset market makers like DWF Labs , is the so-called pump-and-dump protection scheme. The scheme is essentially a liquidity management technique across exchanges. Meanwhile, Grachev also shared his views on topics that range from the misconcept...

Paraguayan mining companies are taking a hit to their profitability due to the steep power fee hikes the government has established for cryptocurrency mining activities. According to reports from Braiins Mining business developer Nano Grijalba, after the veto of the crypto law, the change in power fees makes mining hosting an unprofitable business in Paraguay. Bitcoin Mining Power Fee Hike Hurts Paraguayan Companies Once seen as a haven for bitcoin and crypto miners, Paraguay has changed. Paraguayan miners now complain due to the price hikes the government has applied specifically for the industry of cryptocurrency mining. According to reports from Nano Grijalba, business developer of Braiins Mining, this price hike of over 50% is discriminating against bitcoin miners directly using the excuse of the low number of jobs the industry creates. Grijalba criticized the environmental logic of these measures. On this issue, he stated : Paraguay’s decision to increase fees for bitcoin m...

The Dutch central bank has imposed a fine on crypto exchange Coinbase for providing services in the past without the necessary registration. The trading platform, which has until March to object to the measure, is currently considering an appeal against the move. Dutch Monetary Authority Fines Coinbase for Operating Without Registration De Nederlandsche Bank ( DNB ) has imposed an administrative fine of €3,325,000 (over $3.6 million) on Coinbase Europe Limited, on Jan. 18, 2023. An announcement explained the penalty with the exchange offering crypto services in the Netherlands in a past period without registering with the central bank. That, according to the regulator, constitutes non-compliance with Dutch rules as companies that want to provide crypto-related services are required to register with the DNB under the country’s Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorist Financing Act. The monetary authority further detailed that the base amount for this category of fines is €2 million...

A new survey shows that interest in cryptocurrency remains strong among financial advisors’ clients. “Despite market performance, the most common question was: ‘Should I consider an investment in crypto?'” the survey results reveal. Financial Advisors Bullish About Crypto Long Term Crypto asset manager Bitwise Asset Management published a report titled “Bitwise/Vettafi 2023 Benchmark Survey of Financial Advisor Attitudes Toward Crypto Assets” on Tuesday. This is Bitwise’s fifth annual study conducted in collaboration with Vettafi, an exchange-traded fund (ETF) platform. The survey was conducted between Nov. 25, 2022, and Jan. 6, 2023, with the participation of 491 financial advisors, including independent registered investment advisors, broker-dealer representatives, financial planners, and wirehouse representatives from across the U.S. According to the survey findings: Despite the sharp market correction of 2022, financial advisors remain highly engaged in crypto markets, wi...

A senator in the U.S. state of Arizona has introduced a set of cryptocurrency bills, one of which seeks to make bitcoin legal tender. “Centralized digital money controlled by the central bankers is slavery. Decentralized bitcoin is freedom,” the lawmaker said. Arizona Lawmaker Wants to Make Bitcoin Legal Tender Arizona State Senator Wendy Rogers has introduced several crypto-related bills, including one to make bitcoin legal tender in her state. “Launched my crypto bills today,” Rogers tweeted Tuesday. The bills are co-sponsored by her state senate Republican colleagues Jeff Weninger and J.D. Mesnard. One of the bills proposes making bitcoin legal tender . The legislation defines the cryptocurrency as “the decentralized, peer-to-peer digital currency in which a record of transactions is maintained on the bitcoin blockchain and new units of currency are generated by the computational solution of mathematical problems and that operates independently of a central bank.” Another bill...

Russia may issue a stablecoin backed by gold to use in international settlements, a high-ranking member of the Russian parliament has admitted. The matter has been discussed during a recent visit to Iran where officials have also signaled interest in such an initiative. Iran and Russia Talk Stablecoin Payments for Bilateral Trade Settlements The Russian Federation is considering the creation of a stablecoin backed by gold that can be employed for cross-border settlements, including with Iran, the chairman of the Financial Market Committee at the lower house of Russian parliament, Anatoly Aksakov, told the Parlamentskaya Gazeta newspaper. “We discussed the issuance of stablecoins, digital financial assets (DFAs) backed by certain valuables. For example, I spoke about gold, gold bars, refineries can provide them, or centers where gold is stored, and DFAs are issued against these reserves,” the lawmaker explained after a visit by a Russian delegation to the Islamic Republic. Such a ...

PRESS RELEASE. (London, United Kingdom) – The operator of cryptocurrency purchases on the e-commerce market, PAYB.IO improves and expands its international operations. Their innovative solution allows cryptocurrency holders from around the world to use a multi shopping cart to place orders in multiple online stores simultaneously, saving time and streamlining the shopping process. With PAYB.IO and its new multi-basket, users in one transaction can place an order in up to 10 different stores in various countries and pay for them all with just one cryptocurrency transaction. This eliminates the need for multiple logins and payment transactions in different FIAT currencies. Such a unique solution, pioneered by PAYB.IO, makes shopping substantially easier and saves users’ time. Save with PAYB.IO The company is open to cooperation with projects that have their own token, enabling clients or team members to pay with them in online stores. Furthermore, PAYB.IO establishes partner...

Lawmakers in the European Union have backed legislation imposing new capital requirements for financial institutions, including strict rules meant to cover crypto-related risks. The latter concern banks keeping digital assets and are expected to enter into force in January, 2025. EU Legislators Approve Draft Law Implementing the Basel III Capital Regulations for Banks Members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs ( ECON ) supported a bill on Tuesday designed to enforce the latest global bank capital rules. Reuters noted in a report that the lawmakers have also incorporated specific requirements addressing risks that stem from crypto assets. The general rules are part of the Basel III reforms, a set of internationally agreed measures developed by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision in the aftermath of the 2007-2009 financial crisis. Their main purpose is to strengthen the supervision and risk management of banks. Other jurisdictions, includi...

The Central African Republic (CAR) president, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, recently said his government has established a 15-member committee tasked with creating a comprehensive legal framework that governs the use of cryptocurrencies. According to an official document issued by the CAR cabinet, the committee has already started its work and will regularly update the government. CAR’s Ambitions The Central African Republic (CAR) leader, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, recently revealed that his country has set up a committee that is expected to draft a bill on the use of cryptocurrencies. The committee, which is comprised of 15 experts drawn from various government ministries, is expected to create a legal framework that helps the CAR achieve its goal of becoming a globally recognized blockchain technology-embracing country. 15 experts #centrafricains issus de plusieurs ministères de mon gouvernement composent le comité chargé d'élaborer un nouveau projet de loi plus complet sur l...

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has reportedly processed nearly $346 million in crypto transactions for Bitzlato, the coin trading platform that was shut down in an international law enforcement operation. U.S. authorities say the world’s largest trading platform for digital assets was among Russian-owned Bitzlato’s major counterparties. Blockchain Data Indicates Binance Moved Over 20,000 BTC for Bitzlato Since 2018 The global leader in the crypto trading sector, Binance, has allegedly transferred cryptocurrency worth almost $346 million for the Hong Kong-based Bitzlato, Reuters reported quoting data from Chainalysis. Bitzlato was a little known exchange until it was recently targeted in what U.S. authorities described as a “significant blow to the crypto crime ecosystem.” Last week, the Justice Department announced that Bitzlato’s co-founder and majority shareholder, Russian citizen Anatoly Legkodymov who lives in China, was arrested in Miami and charged with operating an unlice...

While the Ethereum community prepares for the upcoming Shanghai hard fork in March, the development team for the liquid staking project Lido revealed plans to create an in-protocol withdrawal feature. Lido’s team is seeking community feedback on the proposal that would allow withdrawals after the Shanghai upgrade is completed. Lido Dominates Defi Economy With $7.9 Billion in Total Value Locked, Team Prepares for Shanghai Withdrawals As of the time of writing, the decentralized finance (defi) liquid staking protocol Lido is the most dominant defi protocol today, in terms of total value locked (TVL). Statistics from defillama.com show that Lido’s $7.92 billion TVL dominates the $46.56 billion TVL held in defi today by approximately 17.01%. Lido is the largest holder of staked ethereum as the protocol commands around 29% of the staked ether supply . Lido’s ethereum derivative token STETH is the 13th largest market valuation in the cryptocurrency economy with $7.73 billion. Furtherm...

In January 2023, ViaBTC Capital and CoinEx jointly released the 2022 Crypto Annual Report to offer data analysis and insights into nine sectors, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, stablecoins, NFT, public chains, DeFi, SocialFi, GameFi and regulatory policies. This report also predicts the crypto trend in 2023. According to the report, affected by factors such as the macro environment and bull-to-bear transition, the whole cryptocurrency industry became bearish in 2022. In particular, following the Terra meltdown in May, most cryptocurrency sectors were hit by the bearish impact. Below is the overview of each segment. 1. Bitcoin In 2022, the overall performance of Bitcoin remained sluggish, with significant declines in price and trading volume compared to 2021. The price at the end of 2022 even fell below the peak of the last bull market. The price trend of Bitcoin throughout the year is obviously influenced by the pace of US interest rate hikes, but as the US interest rate hike policy c...