Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

The Lebanese pound’s fall to its lowest ever versus the U.S. dollar, 80,000 to 1, has piled more misery on residents whose local currency-denominated savings have been decimated by inflation. The ongoing strike by banks demanding the passage of capital control legislation has compounded matters for residents. Lebanese Pound Devaluation According to several local media reports, Lebanon’s currency recently plunged to a new all-time low of 80,000 per U.S. dollar on the unofficial foreign exchange market. The Lebanese pound’s fall on the parallel market came less than a month after it was devalued by more than 90% on the official market. Although the currency’s devaluation from 1,507 to 15,000 per dollar was seen as monetary authorities’ attempt to unify the pound’s multiple exchange rates, some experts have argued that the new official exchange rate is pegged way below the rates where most trade takes place. The currency’s latest plunge meanwhile has piled more misery on Lebanese r...

The CEO of crypto exchange Kraken, Jesse Powell, says U.S. regulators “let the bad guys get big and blow up because it serves their agenda.” The executive explained: “Bad guys operate with huge competitive advantages. They suck up users, revenue, and venture capital that would otherwise have gone to good guys.” Kraken’s CEO Has a Theory on U.S. Crypto Regulation The chief executive of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, Jesse Powell, took to Twitter Sunday to express his opinion regarding crypto regulation in the United States. The executive began: I have a theory: Regulators let the bad guys get big and blow up because it serves their agenda. Powell proceeded to name three goals he believes regulators are trying to achieve. The first is to “destroy capital/resources in [the] crypto ecosystem,” he wrote. The second is to “burn people, [and] deter adoption,” he continued, adding that the third is to “give air cover to attack good actors.” The Kraken boss asserted that for regulators...

Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary, aka Mr. Wonderful, has warned that U.S. crypto regulation is “getting very, very aggressive.” Noting that regulators are now “regulating by enforcement, penalties, and massive fines,” O’Leary emphasized the importance of staying out of the way of the SEC, Chair Gary Gensler, and other regulators. Kevin O’Leary Shares Outlook for Crypto Regulation Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary has shared his outlook for the crypto industry following several enforcement actions by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Mr. Wonderful tweeted Monday: Venture funding for new crypto projects is virtually dead and aftermarket trading for existing projects is at massive discounts. Reason? The regulator is now regulating by enforcement, penalties, and massive fines. “The venture community has moved on to the next ‘big’ thing, AI,” he added. O’Leary explained in an interview with Trader TV Live, published Sunday, that following the collapse of cryptocurrency exc...

On Tuesday, all four major U.S. benchmark stock indexes fell as real estate data showed home sales dropped by 0.7% last month and Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended the nuclear arms control treaty with the United States. Additionally, the chief U.S. equity strategist at Morgan Stanley said the stock market is in a “death zone” and could drop another 26%. Investor Fears of a Prolonged Recession Swell, U.S. Tensions With Russia Further Disrupt Global Markets On Tuesday, markets traded lower compared to the previous day as investors have been shaken by the current macroeconomic backdrop. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) published a report on Tuesday showing the U.S. real estate market weakening, with home sales slipping 0.7% in January. The price of gold and silver as well as the crypto economy dropped, with the latter shedding 1.37% over the last 24 hours, down to $1.11 trillion. Stocks followed the same pattern , with all four major stock indexes (DJI, GSPC, IXIC...

Using a solution that is based on blockchain technology, the South African startup Momint has said the recently launched Suncash initiative aims to ease the country’s power generation challenges. For about $9, investors can reportedly buy non-fungible tokens (NFTs) linked to solar cells which are then leased to institutions such as schools and hospitals. Momint Pilots Solution at One Local School A South African startup, Momint, recently said it has launched a blockchain-powered solution that can ease the African country’s energy woes by installing more rooftop solar systems at public institutions like hospitals and schools. According to a News 24 report, the startup’s solution has already been piloted at Delmas High School in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province. As explained in the report , investors that wish to participate in this project can do so by acquiring non-fungible tokens (NFTs) which are linked to solar cells and are sold for a minimum price of just under $9. The solar ...

Edogawa Ward in Tokyo plans to use metaverse tech to help social recluses, also known as “hikikomori,” begin to integrate with society again. The ward will organize a series of hybrid (virtual and in-person) meetings this year with the objective of reuniting people with social reclusion problems and helping them in their reintegration process. Edogawa Ward to Leverage the Metaverse in Hikikomori Reintegration Processes Edogawa Ward, located in Tokyo, announced that it will offer a series of metaverse meetings as part of the reintegration process for social recluses in the area. The meetings will be held in hybrid form, with social recluses having the opportunity of attending in person or online, allowing a safe haven for meeting and talking about their common problems. There will be six of these events in 2023, organized by the Kazoku Hikikomori Japan nonprofit, with a capacity for up to 80 participants, 50 in the metaverse platform, and 30 in the designated venue. The meetings wi...

Globant, a Luxembourg-based tech giant with Argentine origins, has referred to the short-term future of the metaverse in its latest Tech Trends report. According to the company, this year the metaverse will “burn bright or burn out,” as it needs to show its potential when compared to other trendsetting tech like artificial intelligence. Metaverse at a Decisive Moment, According to Globant Globant, one of the biggest IT technology companies in the world, has referred to the potential future that metaverse and technology related to this new vision might have in the short term. According to its 2023 Tech Trends report , the company believes that 2023 is the year for the metaverse to “burn bright or burn out,” as the market is still waiting for significant and practical applications to rise in this field. Companies like Meta have already invested billions of dollars in the sector, and while the company has produced VR headsets directed at mainstream audiences, it has failed to penetra...

Revenue from cryptocurrency scams dropped 46% in 2022, according to blockchain data analytics firm Chainalysis. “We attribute most of this decline to market conditions, as scam performance tends to worsen when cryptocurrency prices are in decline,” the firm explained. ‘Crypto Scam Revenue Fell Significantly in 2022’ Blockchain data analytics firm Chainalysis published its 2023 Crypto Crime Report last week with a section on crypto scams. “Crypto scam revenue dropped 46% in 2022,” the 109-page report reads, elaborating: Crypto scam revenue fell significantly in 2022, from $10.9 billion the year prior to just $5.9 billion. Chainalysis tracks several types of crypto scams, including giveaway scams, impersonation scams, investment scams, non-fungible token (NFT) scams, and romance scams. Noting its numbers are “a lower-bound estimate,” the blockchain analytics firm explained that “estimates of the true amount lost to fraudsters will grow as we identify more addresses associated wit...

The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) has launched a cryptocurrency scam tracker to help residents “spot and avoid crypto scams.” The regulator stated: “As reports of new crypto scams emerge, the DFPI will continually update this tracker to promptly alert and protect the public.” California Regulator’s Crypto Scam Tracker The Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) of the U.S. state of California announced last week the launch of its Crypto Scam Tracker to help people in the state “spot and avoid crypto scams.” The financial regulator described: The tracker details apparent crypto scams identified through a review of complaints submitted by the public and allows California consumers and investors to do their own research and prevent harm to themselves and others. The Californian regulator’s crypto scam tracker is a database — searchable by company name, scam type, or keywords — for consumers to learn more about crypto-specific ...

Gemini’s co-founder believes that the next crypto bull run will come from the East. “It will be a humbling reminder that crypto is a global asset class,” he said. “The West, really the U.S., always only ever had two options: embrace it or be left behind. It can’t be stopped.” Gemini Co-Founder on Next Crypto Bull Run Cameron Winklevoss, co-founder of the U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange Gemini, believes that the next crypto bull run will come from the East. He tweeted Sunday: My working thesis [at the moment] is that the next bull run is going to start in the East. It will be a humbling reminder that crypto is a global asset class. “The West, really the U.S., always only ever had two options: embrace it or be left behind. It can’t be stopped. That we know,” he emphasized. “Any government that doesn’t offer clear rules and sincere guidance will be left in the dust. Quickly. This will mean missing out on the greatest period of growth since the rise of the commercial Internet,” ...

PRESS RELEASE. Like bitcoin, the four Seasonal Tokens – Spring , Summer , Autumn and Winter – are produced by proof-of-work mining and go through regular halvings that make them harder to obtain as time goes on. Once every nine months, the rate of production of one of the tokens is cut in half. That token goes from being produced at the fastest rate of the four tokens, to the slowest. Summer tokens are currently produced at a rate of one token every 4.3 seconds. On the 6th of March, that rate will drop to one token every 8.6 seconds. Summer tokens, which are currently the cheapest of the four, are expected to become the most expensive over the following months as the market adjusts to the lower rate of supply. This process has already happened once before , after the Spring halving in June of 2022. Spring was the cheapest token before the halving, and then it became the most expensive. Analysis of the historical data has shown that the relative prices of the tokens tend to reflec...

Yandex, the largest Russian search engine, has updated its currency converter, adding cryptocurrencies. The widget now shows the rates of these coins in a number of fiat currencies, with plans to introduce crypto-to-crypto pairs in the future as well. Yandex Integrates Leading Cryptocurrencies Into Its Currency Converter Users of Russia’s leading search engine, Yandex, can view information about over 140 most popular cryptocurrencies, besides the data for the national currencies of various countries. The crypto rates have been added to the latest version of its currency converter, the company announced. The widget, which features a price chart and a quick conversion tool, is located right above the search results, the Russian Rb.ru news outlet reported, quoting Yandex. The software recognizes standard keywords and even slang or imprecise language in the query. The value of the coins and tokens of interest can be displayed in Russian rubles, U.S. dollars, euros, and other fiat curr...

According to reports, Tencent and Bytedance, two Chinese tech giants, are planning to execute a significant number of job cuts in their metaverse divisions. Tencent recognized it is making some staff adjustments, amidst rumors of hundreds of layoffs in its extended reality division, while Bytedance is also planning to cut staff in Pico, its metaverse headset subsidiary. Tencent and Bytedance Reportedly Shedding Metaverse-Dedicated Staff Tencent and Bytedance, two of the biggest Chinese tech companies, are planning to execute hundreds of layoffs in their metaverse development groups according to various reports. Tencent, which is most known for its software business, is currently abandoning its plans to get into the metaverse hardware market, affecting hundreds of employees at the company. According to local outlets, the company told more than 300 employees that they should be searching for new work opportunities and that the extended reality division, dedicated to the development ...

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...