Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

India’s Finance Ministry has highlighted the necessity for “a common approach to regulating the crypto ecosystem” in its flagship Economic Survey this year. “Crypto assets are self-referential instruments and do not strictly pass the test of being a financial asset because it has no intrinsic cashflows attached to them,” the Indian government stated. Finance Ministry’s Economic Survey Includes Crypto This Year Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Economic Survey 2022-23 in Parliament Tuesday. The Economic Survey is an annual flagship document of the Ministry of Finance that outlines the performance of the Indian economy in the previous financial year and presents an economic outlook for the current financial year. Including cryptocurrency for the first time this year, the Economic Survey highlights the “necessity of a common approach to regulating the crypto ecosystem.” The 414-page document explains, “The recent collapse of the crypto exchange FTX and the ens

Tesla’s latest filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) shows that the fair market value of the company’s bitcoin holdings was $191 million at the end of 2022. In addition, billionaire Elon Musk’s electric car company recorded $204 million of impairment losses resulting from changes in the prices of bitcoin. Tesla’s Digital Assets and Its Bitcoin’s Fair Value Elon Musk’s electric car company, Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA), filed its annual report for the year ended Dec. 31, 2022, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday. The filing shows that the fair market value of Tesla’s BTC holdings was $191 million at the end of 2022 while their carrying value was $184 million, as Bitcoin.com News previously reported . “As of December 31, 2022, and 2021, the carrying value of our digital assets held was $184 million and $1.26 billion, which reflects cumulative impairments of $204 million and $101 million, each period, respectively,” the company detailed, e

Asset management firm Devere Group says that 82% of millionaires surveyed have asked their financial advisors about adding cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin, to their portfolios despite the crypto winter. “Wealthy investors understand that digital currencies are the future of money, and they don’t want to be left in the past,” the firm’s chief executive said. Millionaires to Capitalize in Forthcoming Crypto Bull Run, Devere Says Devere Group, a global financial advisory and asset management firm with $12 billion in assets under management (AUM) worldwide, published the results of its crypto survey Monday. Devere found that among its millionaire clients with between $1 million and $5 million of investable assets, 82% have sought advice about investing in cryptocurrencies. Without providing additional details, the asset management firm wrote: Eight out of 10 high net worth (HNW) individuals have asked their financial advisers about including cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin, into t

During the first month of 2023, the top two leading cryptocurrencies, bitcoin and ethereum, experienced double-digit gains against the U.S. dollar. Meanwhile, several alternative cryptocurrencies saw even greater increases in value, with metaverse tokens like Decentraland’s MANA and The Sandbox’s SAND rising 92-150% against the greenback. Metaverse Crypto Assets Outshine Bitcoin and Ethereum Metaverse crypto assets have outperformed both bitcoin (BTC) and ethereum (ETH) , the leading crypto asset and top smart contract token, respectively. In the past month, Decentraland’s MANA token has been the top performer, rising 150% against the U.S. dollar. Over the last two weeks, MANA climbed 7.3%, and in the past seven days, it rose 2.9%. On January 31, 2023, a single MANA was trading for $0.716 to $0.755 per unit. The Sandbox’s SAND metaverse token has increased 92% in the past 30 days and has risen 5% in the last two weeks. However, despite the 30-day increase, seven-day metrics show

Bitcoin fell below $23,000 on Jan. 31, following a recent move to a five-month high over the weekend. Market volatility has since increased, as traders prepare for a big few days of economic data from the United States. The conference board will release its consumer confidence report later today, with the Federal Reserve holding its policy meeting on Wednesday. Ethereum also moved lower today. Bitcoin Bitcoin ( BTC ) retreated from a recent five-month high on Tuesday, with prices falling below the $23,000 mark in today’s session. BTC /USD fell to a low of $22,657.58 earlier in the day, less than 24 hours after hitting a high at $23,296.53. The move comes as traders appear to have secured gains from recent surges in price, and ahead of the upcoming Federal Reserve policy decision. As can be seen from the chart, today’s drop saw BTC move closer to a price floor at $22,500, with the relative strength index (RSI) hitting a floor of its own. Currently, the index is now tracking at 6

The fate of the Panamanian crypto bill project, which was approved by the Panamanian National Assembly last year, now depends on the decision of the supreme court of the country. The sanction of the project, which was vetoed by President Laurentino Cortizo, is now in the hands of the court after Congress rejected the veto measure. Panamanian Law Still Has Opportunity of Being Approved The Panamanian cryptocurrency bill, which was introduced in 2021 to the National Assembly and passed by the institution last year, has the opportunity of being re-examined and sanctioned even without presidential support. The destiny of the document lies now in the hands of the Supreme Court of Panama, which will have to weigh the arguments in favor and against the sanction of the regulatory framework. President Laurentino Cortizo, who received the document on Jan. 18 to sanction the proposed bill, delivered it to the court instead after issuing heavy objections to its form. The institution, that will

Ordinals, a new way of using and getting content using Bitcoin, are enabling creators to harness the utility of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) directly from the blockchain, essentially creating native Bitcoin NFTs. This has stirred the pot in some circles, which are now discussing if this is the way in which Bitcoin’s blockchain should be used, and how this new use case will affect bitcoin nodes and fees in the future. Ordinals Enable Bitcoin NFTs Courtesy of Taproot A newfound use case for the Bitcoin chain is now being tested by individuals that have found a way of getting content directly to the blockchain. The project, called Ordinals , and launched just a few days ago, has enabled anyone to create Bitcoin NFTs (called inscriptions) as part of its functionality. This opportunity was inadvertently opened by the Taproot upgrade that the network underwent in November, which extended the length of Bitcoin transactions to almost the whole size of a block. This has been key for what’s c

Russian crypto traders have been looking to obtain unrestricted accounts for global exchanges as their access to such platforms is limited. Over the past year, the offering of such accounts on the dark web has increased significantly, cybersecurity experts told the Russian press. Supply of Crypto Exchange Accounts for Russian Users Doubles in a Year of Sanctions More and more ready-to-use accounts for cryptocurrency exchanges are being sold to Russian residents. While this is not a new phenomenon — such accounts are often employed by fraudsters and money launderers — the current growth in supply has been attributed to the restrictions imposed by the trading platforms on customers from Russia, as a result of compliance with sanctions over the war in Ukraine. Russian residents have been buying these accounts despite the dangers, including the risk that whoever created them could maintain access after the sale, the Kommersant reported. But they are inexpensive and offers on darknet ma

The South Korean government will adopt a cryptocurrency tracking system within the first half of this year, the country’s Ministry of Justice reportedly announced. The tracking system will be used to monitor and analyze crypto transactions, particularly to uncover the sources of illegal funds. South Korea to Start Tracking Crypto Transactions in 1H South Korea’s Ministry of Justice (MOJ) reportedly announced that it will adopt a cryptocurrency tracking system within the first half of this year. In its 2023 task report , the Justice Ministry explained that the tracking system will be used to monitor and analyze cryptocurrency transactions, particularly to uncover the sources of illegal funds. The ministry was quoted by local media as saying: We will overhaul the forensic infrastructure in response to the modernization of crime. The Korean government has been talking about adopting a system to track down illegal crypto transactions for many months. In October last year, the coun

A new decentralized exchange (dex) on Arbitrum, called Vest Exchange, was announced this past weekend, and the team that created the project said the platform aims to focus on democratizing perpetual futures. The team behind Vest further detailed that the new Arbitrum dex is backed by firms such as Jane Street, QCP Capital, and Big Brain Holdings. Vest Aims to Revolutionize Defi Perpetuals With Cutting-Edge Risk-Engine and Backing From Prominent Investment Firms The creators of a new dex platform built on the Arbitrum layer two blockchain announced on Jan. 28, 2023, that the project has emerged from stealth mode. The project, called Vest Exchange , closed a seed round with investments from firms including Jane Street, QCP Capital, Big Brain Holdings, Pear VC, Cogitent, Moonshot Research, Fugazi Labs, Ascendex, Builder Capital, Infinity Ventures Crypto, and Robert Chen (Ottersec). Vest Exchange also provided a summary of the project in a blog post published on the same day. Vest

The metaverse is making inroads in job recruiting fronts in Japan. According to local reports, a mega metaverse job fair was organized on Jan. 27, with more than 2,000 students taking part in the experience. The students used avatars to communicate and review the job previews available in different booths controlled by several companies. Japan Embraces the Metaverse for Recruiting Metaverse tech is starting to change the landscape of job hunting and recruiting in Japan. More than 2,000 students attended a metaverse job fair, that allowed them to use digital avatars to communicate with recruiters and examine the possibilities of each job offer available. Due to the anonymity in the metaverse, participants were allowed to ask questions on delicate matters concerning these job offerings, according to reports of the Asahi Shimbun. 179 companies participated in this effort, which was organized by Neo Career Co., which took care of the job-related activities, and X Inc., which carried t

The Argentine peso has fallen consistently against the U.S. dollar this month, losing almost 12% since Jan. 1. The behavior of the exchange rate for the informal “blue” dollar keeps bringing concerns about a possible escalade in inflation rates, that are predicted to reach almost 100% this year, similar to the rates registered in 2022. Argentine Peso Keeps Falling Argentina is currently submerged in a devaluation scenario that has the possibility of causing an escalation in prices this year. The value of the Argentine peso against the U.S. dollar has fallen by almost 12%, reaching a record-high rate of 386 pesos per dollar on Jan. 27 in its ‘ blue ‘ variation. The exchange rate has been constantly rising since December, when it reached 356 pesos per dollar, breaking a record low for the peso at that time. The government has made movements to maintain its stability, injecting dollars to satisfy the demand of registered importers into the market and announcing a purchase operation

PRESS RELEASE. VICTORIA, Seychelles — Bitget , a leading cryptocurrency derivatives exchange, has announced the winners and conclusion of its Hero Trader Awards 2022 competition. The event was organized to select the best 15 copy traders with high moral standards and professional qualities through community voting. The Hero Trader Awards 2022 commemorated the advancement of copy trading based on transaction data from Bitget’s One-Click Copy Trade in 2022 , which was used to select 75 Star Traders who participated in the contest. Bitget is a pioneer in crypto copy trading thanks to the way it works to improve products through innovation. One-Click Copy Trade is Bitget’s flagship offering of crypto copy trade, and as of Jan 19th, 2023, the product has amassed more than 80,000 traders and over 380,000 followers, along with 42,000,000 profitable copy trades since its launch. Recently, Bitget has become the first cryptocurrency exchange to launch copy trading in the spot market. The

Lawmakers in Nur-Sultan have approved the final version of the law “On Digital Assets in the Republic of Kazakhstan.” The new legislation, including several other bills, regulates the circulation of cryptocurrencies in the country and introduces a licensing regime for crypto miners and exchanges. Senate Votes on Crypto Law, Sends It to President of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan’s Senate has adopted a bill designed to regulate cryptocurrencies and related activities in the Central Asian nation. Along with additional legal documents, the new law “On Digital Assets in the Republic of Kazakhstan” creates conditions for establishing a crypto ecosystem in the country, local media reported. Members of the upper house of parliament considered the comprehensive package earlier in January and decided to propose certain amendments to the Mazhilis, which had already approved its version of the legislation. However, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev dissolved the lower house on Jan. 19 and called early e

A U.S. lawmaker has introduced a resolution that encourages Capitol gift shops to accept cryptocurrency payments. He stressed that lawmakers “should increase accessibility and signal our support for the burgeoning cryptocurrency industry to those who visit Capitol Hill.” US Senator Advocates Crypto Payments U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) announced Thursday that he has reintroduced the Adopting Cryptocurrency in Congress as an Exchange of Payment for Transactions (ACCEPT) Resolution. Cruz first introduced this resolution in November 2021. The senator from Texas said: Cryptocurrency is generating new jobs, encouraging entrepreneurs to invent new values and creating new hedges against inflation, and presenting new opportunities. It is also increasingly being used as a secure form of payment for goods and services. “This is precisely why we, here at the United States Capitol, should increase accessibility and signal our support for the burgeoning cryptocurrency industry to those who

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren has called on Congress to ensure regulators, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), have the tools to regulate the crypto industry effectively and crack down on crypto money laundering activities. “The current legal structure essentially holds up a giant sign over crypto that says, money laundering done here,” the lawmaker stressed. Senator Urges Congress to Crack Down on Crypto Money Laundering U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) said in an interview with Politico’s Morning Money Wednesday that cracking down on money laundering activities is her “main focus” in terms of crypto-related legislation. The senator confirmed that she will reintroduce her bill titled “Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2022.” Originally introduced in December last year, this bill is “the most direct attack ” on the personal freedom and privacy of crypto users, according to experts in the field. Warren explained that money laundering is “not nearly as

The U.S. Federal Reserve Board has rejected the attempt of Custodia Bank to become member of the Federal Reserve System. According to the decision announced Friday, the application submitted by the digital asset bank is inconsistent with legal requirements. Federal Reserve Board Says Business Model Proposed by Custodia Bank Presents Risks Crypto bank Custodia has been denied membership in the United States Federal Reserve System. In an announcement dated Jan. 27, the Federal Reserve Board explained that the application, as submitted by the company, is “inconsistent with the required factors under the law.” The press release further detailed that Custodia is a special purpose depository institution which does not have federal deposit insurance and wants to engage in “untested crypto activities,” including issuing a crypto asset. In that context, the Board argued: The firm’s novel business model and proposed focus on crypto-assets presented significant safety and soundness risks.

The Ghanaian and Nigerian central banks have invited financial innovators that wish to be included in their respective regulatory sandboxes to submit applications. The Bank of Ghana said its sandbox will also support innovations that attempt to solve the financial exclusion challenge. Solving the Financial Exclusion Challenge The Ghanaian central bank has called on registered financial institutions and unlicensed fintech startups to apply for admission into its regulatory sandbox. In a press statement issued on Jan. 26, the bank said the process to admit the first cohort of participants will open on Feb. 13 and close on March 14. According to the Bank of Ghana (BOG), the sandbox will support innovations that include “new digital business models not currently covered explicitly or implicitly under any regulation.” The sandbox will also support innovations that attempt to solve the financial exclusion challenge as well as “new and immature digital financial service technology.” As

A new survey shows that institutional investors expect “a strong year ahead for bitcoin” and are confident about the cryptocurrency’s long-term valuation. In addition, 65% of institutional investors surveyed agree that bitcoin could reach $100,000. ‘Strong Year Ahead for Bitcoin’ Nickel Digital Asset Management published the results of a survey Thursday showing how high institutional investors expect the price of bitcoin to reach. The London-based investment manager is registered with the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The survey, commissioned by Nickel and conducted by market research company Pureprofile this month, interviewed 200 institutional investors and wealth managers across the U.S., U.K., Germany, Singapore, Switzerland, UAE, and Brazil. The respondents collectively managed around $2.85 trillion in assets. Sharing the results of the survey, Nickel detailed: Professional investors are forecasting a strong

A new organization has been established in Turkey with the aim to monitor and help develop the country’s crypto sector, local media reported. Its first task will be to address recent problems with some cryptocurrency exchanges and boost confidence in the industry as a whole. New Entity to Deal With Issues in the Crypto Space in Turkey, Hopes to Increase Transparency People trading cryptocurrencies in Turkey have been estimated at over 8 million as of 2022, according to Emrah Inanc, head of the Crypto Industry Development, Monitoring and Reporting Association. The country is in the world’s top five in terms of crypto investments, he highlighted. Speaking to the Anadolu Agency, the top executive of the newly-founded organization also emphasized that transparency is crucial for the development of the crypto sector. That’s why it will first focus efforts on solving problems with crypto exchanges and improve confidence in the industry. Inanc pointed out that a number of exchanges from

Tesla and Twitter CEO Elon Musk has reaffirmed his commitment to eat a McDonald’s Happy Meal on TV if the fast food chain accepts the meme cryptocurrency dogecoin (DOGE). Musk originally made the offer a year ago but McDonald’s responded with a counteroffer at the time. Elon Musk, McDonald’s, and Dogecoin Payments Tesla, Spacex, and Twitter CEO Elon Musk has reaffirmed his commitment to eat a McDonald’s Happy Meal on Television if the fast food giant starts accepting payments in dogecoin (DOGE). It has been a year since the billionaire tweeted his offer on Jan. 25, 2022. However, McDonald’s did not accept his offer at the time. “Only if Tesla accepts grimacecoin,” the Twitter account for the fast food corporation replied to him. Grimace is a fluffy, purple character who tags along with Ronald McDonald in McDonaldland commercials. The subject came up again this week when Twitter user Dogedesigner asked Musk on Thursday whether his offer is still open. The Tesla boss replied with t

The famous author of the best-selling book Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, says that we are in a global recession. Warning of soaring bankruptcies, unemployment, and homelessness, he noted that there is good news for investors looking for “bargains.” Robert Kiyosaki’s Latest Warnings The author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, is back with more warnings about the U.S. economy and global recession. 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 Saturday: “Q: What is worse than a great depression? A: a global recession.” He added: Unfortunately, we are in global recession. Hang on. Rough landing for world. Bad news. Bankruptcy, unemployment, homelessness soar. Retirements toast. However, the famed author pointed out there is good news for investors