Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

The Central Bank of Russia plans to launch test operations with digital ruble transactions between real customers at the beginning of April. More than a dozen banks will join the upcoming stage of the pilot project, a high-ranking representative of the bank announced to Russian media. Russia’s Monetary Authority to Trial Actual Settlements With Digital Ruble The Central Bank of the Russian Federation (CBR) is going to proceed to the next phase of the digital ruble pilot project on the first day of April. Testing will involve real transactions with the new form of the national fiat, Deputy Governor Olga Skorobogatova told journalists. The plan is to start with transfers between individuals and payments between trade and service companies, the top official detailed. Skorobogatova emphasized that these will be “real transactions” and “real customers” of 13 banks that are ready to take part. However, she also noted that the initial number of these transactions, as well as the number o...

The largest bank in Southeast Asia, DBS, has revealed that bitcoin trading volume on its cryptocurrency exchange jumped 80% in 2022 while ether trading volume surged 65%. “We believe that the market has decisively shifted its focus towards trust and stability, especially in the wake of multiple scandals that have rocked the industry,” a DBS executive described. DBS Sees Record Trading Volumes for Bitcoin and Ether DBS, the largest bank in Southeast Asia, announced last week that its digital asset exchange saw record trading volumes for bitcoin and ether in 2022. In addition, the number of BTC and ETH under custody at the bank soared during the same time period. According to the bank, the number of bitcoin traded on DBS Digital Exchange (DDEX) was close to 80% higher year-on-year while the number of ether traded on the platform was nearly 65% higher. The bank further revealed that the “number of bitcoin and ether custodised with DBS [is] up more than 100% and 60% respectively,” em...

Binance US has refuted reports that draw parallels between it and “fraudulent exchanges that have gone bankrupt.” The U.S.-based crypto trading platform stressed that “only Binance.US employees” have access to its bank accounts, denying the allegation that global crypto exchange Binance has “secret access.” Clarifications by Binance US Binance US, a U.S.-based cryptocurrency trading platform affiliated with the global crypto exchange Binance, has refuted reports that compare it to fraudulent and bankrupt crypto exchanges. Binance and Binance US claim that they are separate entities with different management teams. “There have been many attempts to draw parallels between Binance.US and fraudulent exchanges that have gone bankrupt,” the official Twitter account for Binance US tweeted Thursday. “There is no comparison,” the exchange stressed and proceeded to provide some evidence to support its claims. Firstly, Binance US explained that its leadership is comprised of ex-employees of ...

Despite seeing their share of Africa’s startup funding drop from 48.3% seen in 2021 to 43.4% in 2022, fintech still managed to raise 39.3% more capital in 2022 ($1.45 billion) than they did in 2021 ($1.04 billion). Nigeria was again the best-funded country after 180 of its startups raised a combined US$976,146,000 or 29.3% of the African continent’s total. Big Four’s Share Drops According to Disrupt’s 2022 African tech startup funding report, fintech startups were able to secure $1.45 billion in funding in the past year. The sector’s total capital raise represented an increase of 39.3% from the approximately $1.04 billion that was secured in 2021. Despite this increase in fintechs’ overall funding, the sector’s share of total capital raised by African tech startups still dropped from 48.3% seen in 2021 to 43.4% in 2022. As was the case in 2021, Nigeria is again the best-funded country after 180 of its startups raised a combined US$976,146,000 or 29.3% of the African continent’s tot...

The Bank of Zambia and the country’s securities regulators are currently testing the technology to regulate cryptocurrencies, a Zambian government minister has said. According to Felix Mutati, cryptocurrency is a revolutionary technology that embodies a future his country desires to achieve. Achieving an Inclusive Digital Economy The Zambian central bank and the country’s Securities and Exchange Commission are in the process of “testing” technology to regulate cryptocurrencies, the country’s minister of Technology and Science, Felix Mutati, has said. In his remarks published on the ministry’s website , Mutati argued that Zambia needs to regulate this “revolutionary technology” because it encapsulates “the future the country desires to achieve.” Mutati also revealed that the testing of the regulatory technology will soon be upscaled as part of measures to help Zambia attain an “inclusive digital economy.” In addition, the minister said Zambia, which is seeking to become the region’s...

On Feb. 17, 2023, Tokyo-based Sony Network Communications announced that it is co-hosting a Web3 incubation program with the multichain smart contract platform Astar Network. The program has started accepting applications, and Sony and Astar will jointly mentor Web3 projects “focused on the utility” of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). Sony and Astar to Co-Host Web3 Incubation Program Sony Network Communications , a subsidiary of Japanese technology giant Sony Group, announced Friday that the company is exploring ways to address industry issues using blockchain and Web3 technology. A Web3 incubation program is planned for mid-March to mid-June with Astar Network and Singapore-based Startale Labs to bolster relevant Web3 solutions. Startale was founded by Astar Network CEO Sota Watanabe. The announcement sent to Bitcoin.com News states that Sony and the Astar Foundation will select “10 to 15 cohorts” from the applications. The program is ...

Economist Mohamed El-Erian, Allianz’s chief economic advisor and chair of Gramercy Funds Management, has warned that the Federal Reserve cannot achieve its 2% inflation target without crushing the U.S. economy. “You need a higher stable inflation rate. Call it 3% to 4%,” the economist suggested. The Fed Could Crush US Economy, Economist Warns Economist Mohamed El-Erian warned on Friday that the Federal Reserve cannot achieve its inflation target of 2% without “crushing the economy.” El-Erian is president of Queens’ College, Cambridge University, and chair of Gramercy Funds Management. He is also chief economic adviser at Allianz, the corporate parent of PIMCO, one of the largest investment managers. “You need a higher stable inflation rate. Call it 3% to 4%,” the economist stressed in an interview with Bloomberg Television. He emphasized: I don’t think they can get CPI to 2% without crushing the economy, but that’s because 2% is not the right target. El-Erian’s comments followe...

The famous author of the best-selling book Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, has warned that investing in a well-diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) is “very risky” advice. Kiyosaki stressed that gold, silver, and bitcoin are the best investments for “unstable times.” Robert Kiyosaki’s Investment Advice The author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, gave some more investment advice this week. 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 Friday: For years, I have been saying, ‘Saving money & investing in a well-diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, mutual funds & ETFs is risky advice.’ Today very risky advice. I still believe gold, silver, bitcoin best for unstable times, although prices will...

Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and UBS have shared their predictions about the Federal Reserve raising interest rates further. Bank of America and Goldman Sachs, for example, now expect the Fed to raise interest rates three more times this year. Major Banks Predict More Fed Rate Hikes As the U.S. Federal Reserve continues its fight against inflation, several major banks — including Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, UBS, and JPMorgan — have shared their predictions about how much more the Fed will raise interest rates this year. Goldman Sachs said in a note Thursday that it now expects the U.S. central bank to raise interest three more times this year after data released Thursday pointed to persistent inflation and a resilient labor market. The bank, which previously predicted 25-basis-point rate increases in the Fed’s March and May meetings, now expects another rate hike in June. The firm’s economists, led by Jan Hatzius, head of the Global Investment Research Division and...

The Nigerian crypto payment gateway Fluidcoins was recently bought for an undisclosed sum by Blockfinex, in a deal which the former’s CEO Lanre Adenowo described as an “acquihire deal.” Blockfinex reportedly said it will leverage the acquisition to launch its own platform known as Blockpay. Scaling Blockfinex’s Crypto Payment Processing Business The Nigerian crypto payment gateway, Fluidcoins, was recently acquired for an undisclosed sum by the Seychelles-registered crypto exchange company Blockfinex. According to a Techcabal report , Blockfinex’s acquisition of a 100% stake in the Nigerian firm came some 18 months after Fluidcoins’ last capital raise of $150,000. Commenting on the acquisition that was facilitated by Dan Holdings Limited, Blockfinex founder and CEO Danny Oyekan reportedly said: This acquisition was driven by a decision to venture into wallet as a service business and crypto payment processing and scale it across the world. Blockfinex reportedly said it will lev...

The Brazilian government is preparing to release a decree to fill the blank spaces that the recent approval of the cryptocurrency law has left open. The document, prepared by the Ministry of Finance, will establish the areas of oversight and responsibilities for the Central Bank of Brazil and the national securities regulator (CVM). Brazilian Government to Issue New Crypto Regulation Decree Members of the Brazilian government are working to extend the cryptocurrency rules established by the cryptocurrency law sanctioned on Dec. 21 by outgoing president Jair Bolsonaro. According to reports from local outlets, the Ministry of Finance is working on a decree to fill in the blanks that the general formulation of the law left unaddressed. The document will have to be reviewed by executive aides of president Luis Inacio “Lula” Da Silva before getting sanctioned. The document is being prepared by Gabriel Galipolo, executive secretary of the Ministry of Finance, and by the secretary of ec...

Norwegian authorities, in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), have allegedly seized about $6 million that was stolen in last year’s Axie Infinity heist. “It is the biggest crypto seizure Norwegian police have ever made,” said Norway’s Økokrim. Norway and FBI Recoup Some Stolen Funds From Axie Infinity Attack Økokrim, Norway’s National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime, announced Thursday that it has seized 60 million kroner (approximately $5.8 million) in crypto in connection with the attack against Axie Infinity and Sky Mavis, the company that developed the non-fungible token (NFT)-based online video game. The Norwegian authority explained that in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): Økokrim has seized close to NOK 60 million in cryptocurrency. It is the biggest crypto seizure Norwegian police have ever...

Crypto exchange Binance expects to pay fines to U.S. authorities to settle regulatory and law-enforcement investigations over its past conduct, the company’s chief strategy officer reportedly said. When Binance began its business, the company was unfamiliar with the rules it needed to comply with in the U.S., the executive explained. Binance Plans to Settle With US Regulators Binance’s chief strategy officer, Patrick Hillmann, revealed Wednesday that the cryptocurrency exchange expects to pay fines to settle existing U.S. regulatory and law-enforcement investigations, the Wall Street Journal reported. He explained that in its early days, Binance was unfamiliar with the legal framework and regulations in the U.S. to mitigate the risk of bribery and corruption, money laundering, and economic sanctions. The Binance executive stated that the crypto exchange is currently working with regulators to identify potential “remediations” the company has to go through “to make amends” for its ...

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has called on Congress to pass clear crypto legislation, warning that the U.S. risks losing its status as a financial hub. “Crypto is open to everyone in the world and others are leading,” the executive stressed. Coinbase’s CEO on Cryptocurrency Regulation The CEO of the Nasdaq-listed cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase (Nasdaq: COIN), Brian Armstrong, has called on Congress to pass clear crypto legislation. He tweeted Wednesday: America risks losing its status as a financial hub long term, with no clear regs on crypto, and a hostile environment from regulators. Congress should act soon to pass clear legislation. “Crypto is open to everyone in the world and others are leading,” he added, mentioning the EU, the U.K., and Hong Kong. Besides Armstrong, many people have complained that crypto regulation in the U.S. is not clear, making it difficult for companies to comply. However, the chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gary Ge...

Another member of Sam Bankman-Fried’s inner circle allegedly plans to plead guilty to criminal charges for his role in the alleged fraud that occurred at the cryptocurrency exchange FTX. According to unnamed sources familiar with the matter, Nishad Singh, FTX’s former director of engineering, is attempting to negotiate a deal with New York prosecutors. Sources Say Former FTX Director of Engineering Nears Plea Deal, Singh Could Provide Critical Testimony On Friday, Bloomberg reporter Allyson Versprille reported that Nishad Singh, the former director of engineering at FTX, is negotiating a deal with federal prosecutors in Manhattan. Two other individuals from Sam Bankman-Fried’s inner circle, ex-Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison and FTX co-founder Gary Wang, have already pleaded guilty to charges related to the multiyear fraud that allegedly took place at FTX since 2019. Unnamed sources who are familiar with the matter told Versprille about the agreement, and the reporter noted...

A draft law filed in the Russian parliament permits operators of platforms providing financial services to also run blockchain platforms. The legislation will allow them to combine their regular activities in the traditional financial market with issuing digital assets. New Law Opens Door to Blockchain Space for Russian Financial Service Providers The State Duma, the lower house of parliament in Russia, has adopted on first reading a bill allowing financial marketplaces, as defined by another Russian law, to also function as blockchain platforms facilitating the issuance and exchange of digital financial assets (DFAs). The legislative initiative comes from a group of lawmakers headed by the chairman of the parliamentary Financial Market Committee, Anatoly Aksakov, crypto news outlets Bits.media and RBC Crypto reported. Its main purposes is to help the development of tokenized cashless payments, the digital ruble , and DFAs. The latter are regulated by the law “On Digital Financia...

Japanese gaming company Square Enix has announced that it will be using Polygon, an Ethereum sidechain, as a base for Symbiogenesis, its upcoming Web3 experience. Naoyuki Tamate, producer of the game, cited the high transaction speeds and low transaction gas costs as the reasons for making this change in the game’s design. Square Enix to Harness Polygon for Symbiogenesis’ Blockchain Operations Square Enix, a Japanese game-developing company, has given an update regarding the development of Symbiogenesis, its upcoming Web3-based experience announced in November. The company revealed it would use Polygon, an EVM-compatible sidechain, to support part of the blockchain component of the game. The game, which will feature several art non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as part of its story, revolves around the realization of missions and collecting resources in a land called the floating continent. Regarding the utilization of Polygon’s network in the game, Symbiogenesis producer Naoyuki Tamate...

PWC, one of the ‘Big Four’ auditors and among the largest professional services networks globally, recently published a report on FTX Digital Markets, the bankrupt crypto exchange’s Bahamian subsidiary. The report indicates that the entity’s accounting records have been limited, and it also noted that there is “little distinction between what represents potentially client monies and corporate funds.” FTX Joint Provisional Liquidators Continue Investigations Into Bahamian Subsidiary In mid-November 2022, following the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by the exchange FTX and its large number of subsidiaries, The Bahamas’ regulator appointed Kevin Cambridge and Peter Greaves from PWC as the joint provisional FTX liquidators in the proceedings. PWC has recently published a report that shows the crypto exchange’s Bahamian entity FTX Digital Markets reportedly commingled client funds. FTX Digital Markets essentially held “limited accounting records,” and the PWC auditors noted that there “...

The president of the Central Bank of Brazil, Roberto Campos Neto, has clarified the status of the development of the Brazilian central bank digital currency (CBDC), the digital real. Campos Neto stated that the pilot test will start now and that banks will have to digitize more of their balances in the future. Pilot Tests for Digital Real Imminent Brazil is making strides in developing its central bank digital currency (CBDC), and the design of its architecture. Roberto Campos Neto, president of the Central Bank of Brazil, recently detailed the advances that the institution has made in building the foundation for the operation of the proposed digital real currency. In a conference organized by Brazilian bank BTG Pactual, Campos Neto stated that the pilot tests for the digital real would be starting ”now,” and that the project was receiving significant assistance from private banks. Campos Neto estimates that the full development route for the project should be ready for December 2...

Crypto exchanges Binance and Huobi have frozen cryptocurrencies worth approximately $1.4 million linked to North Korea, according to blockchain analytics firm Elliptic. The firm noted that the stolen funds, which were dormant until recently, originated from the June 2022 hack of Harmony’s Horizon Bridge. North Korea-Linked Crypto Frozen by Binance and Huobi Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic said Tuesday that it has collaborated with cryptocurrency exchanges Binance and Huobi “to freeze Lazarus Group hack proceeds.” Elliptic wrote: Crypto exchanges Binance and Huobi today froze accounts containing approximately $1.4 million in cryptoassets originating from the June 2022 hack of Harmony’s Horizon Bridge. “The Horizon cross-chain bridge was attacked on June 24th 2022, resulting in the loss of $99.6 million in cryptoassets. These funds were then laundered through the now-sanctioned Tornado Cash,” the blockchain analytics firm detailed. Ethereum mixer Tornado Cash was banned last...

Famous actor Keanu Reeves says dismissing crypto or criticizing its volatility will only “make it better in terms of how it’s safeguarded.” The Matrix star added that the principle and ideas behind an independent currency are “amazing.” Keanu Reeves Praises Crypto Famous actor Keanu Reeves talked about cryptocurrency in an interview with Wired, published Tuesday. The Matrix and John Wick star opined: I think the principle, the ideas behind an independent currency are amazing. These are amazing tools for exchanges and distribution of resources. “So, to pooh-pooh crypto, or the volatility of cryptocurrency, it’s only going to make it better in terms of how it’s safeguarded,” he added without providing further details. The Hollywood star previously revealed that he owned cryptocurrency. “A friend of mine bought some for me a while back,” he said in December 2021, adding that he had not done anything with it. Reeves, NFTs, and the Metaverse Reeves also explained how he became an...

Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz says he wouldn’t be surprised if the price of bitcoin returns to $30,000 next month. “When I look at the price action, when I look at the excitement of the customers calling, the FOMO [fear of missing out] building up, it wouldn’t surprise me,” the executive shared. Bitcoin Could Return to $30,000 in Q1, Says Novogratz Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz shared his bitcoin price outlook Wednesday at a Bank of America conference. The longtime bitcoin advocate believes that BTC could return to $30,000 by the end of next month. He said: When I look at the price action, when I look at the excitement of the customers calling, the FOMO [fear of missing out] building up, it wouldn’t surprise me if we were at $30,000 by the end of the quarter. “I would’ve given both my shoes for that to be true just six weeks ago,” he added, noting that it would’ve made him “the happiest guy” if BTC ended 2022 at $30,000. The Galaxy Digital CEO was previously more bull...

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Terraform Labs and its CEO, Do Hyeong Kwon, with fraud, alleging that Kwon and his company orchestrated “a multibillion-dollar crypto-asset securities fraud.” The securities watchdog insists that Kwon raised billions from investors by creating an “interconnected suite of crypto-asset securities,” many of which were involved in unregistered transactions. SEC Charges Terra’s Do Kwon and Terraform Labs With Defrauding Investors Nine months after the entire Terra blockchain ecosystem collapsed, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged the Singaporean company Terraform Labs Pte. Ltd. and the firm’s CEO, Do Kwon . The SEC detailed on Thursday that Terraform and Kwon raised billions from venture capitalists and created a suite of unregistered securities and mirrored assets that replicated the value of U.S. stocks. The government’s complaint also mentions the now-defunct UST algorithmic stablecoin. The regulato...