Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

The Argentine tax authority (AFIP) is increasing its scrutiny when it comes to digital wallets. The institution recently revealed it found irregularities in at least 184 tax statements that include digital wallets and cryptocurrencies. These taxpayers did not include their wallet holdings as part of their 2021 tax statements, leaving close to $7.6 million in such assets undeclared. Argentine Tax Authority AFIP Finds Irregularities The Argentine tax authority has ramped up its vigilance for digital and cryptocurrency taxes. Recently, the institution announced that it had discovered a series of irregularities that involved at least 184 taxpayers, who failed to refer to their digital and cryptocurrency holdings in their tax statements. The scrutinized tax statements, corresponding to fiscal year 2021, involve a difference of close to $7.6 million in assets undeclared, which will have to be paid according to rules for existing estate taxes. The AFIP explained this was the result of c...

On Sunday evening, March 19, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the U.S. Federal Reserve, along with several central banks including the Bank of England, Bank of Canada, Bank of Japan, the European Central Bank, and the Swiss National Bank, announced a coordinated action to enhance the provision of liquidity via the standing U.S. dollar liquidity swap line arrangements. The announcement followed a banking crisis that began with the collapse of three U.S. banks and spread internationally. Turmoil in Banking Industry Leads to Coordinated Action to Enhance Liquidity Before Wall Street opened on Monday and ahead of the next Federal Reserve meeting, the U.S. central bank, along with five other major central banks, announced decisive action to add liquidity to the financial system. The participating banks included the Bank of England, Bank of Canada, Bank of Japan, Swiss National Bank, and the European Central Bank (ECB). In fact, all participating central banks published similar press rel...

Bitcoin was trading above $28,000 on Monday, as cryptocurrencies extended a bull run to start the week. This upwards sentiment comes as the Federal Reserve and other major central banks made coordinated moves to enhance market liquidity. Ethereum continues to trade close to $1,800. Bitcoin Bitcoin ( BTC ) started the week trading above $28,000, as markets responded to the deepening global banking crisis. The coordinated action by several major G7 central banks comes as Credit Suisse was bought out by rival UBS, a move engineered by Swiss authorities. BTC /USD jumped to an intraday peak of $28,527.72 earlier today, which comes a day after trading at a low of $27,196.76. Bitcoin chart by TradingView As a result of the rally, bitcoin climbed to its strongest point since last June, with many now anticipating a move above $30,000. Overall, this surge has sent prices into overbought territory, with the 14-day relative strength index (RSI) now tracking at 72.73. The next visib...

Blockchain technology can help solve current issues with settlements, according to the deputy chief executive of Sberbank. Russia’s largest bank is working with other financial institutions to develop blockchain-based payment applications, the banker revealed. Sberbank Sees Solution to Russia’s Troubles With Settlements in Blockchain With major Russian banks disconnected from the main global interbank payment system, SWIFT , due to Moscow’s war on Ukraine, blockchain will help to solve the problem with payments, Sberbank’s First Deputy CEO Alexander Vedyakhin is convinced. “It is blockchain technology that will make it possible to solve this issue because this is a distributed ledger, there is no one point of decision making, no center, no knife switch that can be shut off,” Vedyakhin explained, quoted by the Interfax news agency. “Everyone has everything recorded, there are special protocols that make it possible to do this confidentially,” the executive added during a meeting of...

PRESS RELEASE. WATERPORT PLACE, GIB., March 20th, 2023 – Digital Asset Management Limited and the Damex group (“Damex” or “Damex.io”)), a Distributed Ledger Technology provider based in Gibraltar, recently announced its utility token IEO, the Damex Token ($DAMEX), which can be used within the Damex App along with other non-fungible tokens (NFTs), to earn rewards for adopting a healthier and more active lifestyle. Damex announced its token IEO for 19th April. Its utility went live and was tested during the Q1 of 2023, with future developments for both the Damex Token and the Damex App slated throughout the year. The total supply is 370 million Damex Tokens. The goal of these new offerings by Damex is to encourage users to become healthier individuals while, at the same time, educating them about cryptocurrency and promoting environmental sustainability. What can users gain in exchange for staking Damex Tokens? For instance, when a user stakes 5,000 Damex Tokens, they can get acce...

A report issued by Globaldata, a global consulting and data analysis company, predicts that China will become a leading country in metaverse tech during 2023. The firm believes that the development of other technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and 6G will allow China to configure itself as a metaverse hub. China to Lead Metaverse Industry in 2023 While the interest in the metaverse seems to be waning at a worldwide level, China is still pushing to become a leader in the industry. According to a recent report prepared by Globaldata, a consulting firm, China is positioning itself to surpass the West when it comes to metaverse tech, as the country will keep investing in technologies related to this field. The report states the importance that China gives to these accessory technologies will allow it to become a center for the metaverse. It states: The growing emphasis on VR, AR, AI, and 6G aims to outpace advances in the West...

Microsoft, the software conglomerate, has introduced an Ethereum-based cryptocurrency wallet in the testing version of its Edge web browser. The new feature, which software sleuth Albacore discovered, is named “Crypto Wallet” and would allow users to store and transact Ethereum and Ethereum-based tokens in a non-custodial way, acting like a Metamask clone. Microsoft Introduces Ethereum Wallet in Its Edge Browser Cryptocurrency and Web3 projects are making inroads into mainstream software products. According to reports coming from Albacore, a software researcher, Microsoft is currently developing a native wallet that would as part of its own web browser, Edge. The new feature, called “crypto wallet,” would allow the users to transact and store Ethereum and Ethereum-based tokens in a non-custodial way. In the screenshots available, Microsoft confirms the status of the project, warning the testers about the dangers of using their funds in this wallet. It stated: As a tester, you wi...

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren has called for a “thorough, independent investigation of the causes” that led to the failure of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank. She alleges that Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell “bears direct responsibility” for regulatory and supervisory issues involving the two banks. Senator Elizabeth Warren Calls for Independent Investigation Into Bank Failures U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) called for an investigation into the recent collapse of major banks in a March 18 letter to the Treasury Department’s deputy inspector general, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)’s acting inspector general, and the Federal Reserve Board’s inspector general. “I am writing to ask that you immediately open a thorough, independent investigation of the causes of the bank management and regulatory and supervisory problems that resulted in this month’s failure of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank and deliver preliminary results within...

Speculation and debate continue to rage surrounding the current global banking debacle. Hedge fund manager Michael Burry — known for predicting 2008’s economic crisis — is drawing comparisons to the Panic of 1907, while Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki warned this week of more ‘fake money’ being injected into the U.S. economy. In related news, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Signature Bank board member, Barney Frank, said he suspects regulators meant to send an “anti-crypto message” in regards to the bank’s recent failure. All this and more just below, in the latest Bitcoin.com News Week in Review. Michael Burry Compares Current Banking Turmoil to Panic of 1907 — Highlights Markets Bottoming Michael Burry, a hedge fund manager renowned for predicting the 2008 financial crisis, has drawn parallels between the current banking turmoil and the Panic of 1907. He noted that three weeks after J.P. Morgan made a stand, the panic was resolved and the markets b...

The financial regulatory body of the Netherlands intends to maintain tough attitude towards the Dutch digital assets sector despite looser European rules. The head of the agency overseeing the industry doesn’t think crypto is good news and highlights its flaws in an article. Head of Dutch Financial Authority Says Cryptos Are Difficult to Fathom, Vulnerable to Fraud Most countries in the West are “tightening the reins” on crypto but a total ban is “difficult to imagine”, the Chair of the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets ( AFM ), Laura van Geest, noted in a column devoted to cryptocurrencies in the business daily Het Financieele Dagblad. However, despite the tightening in the final phase of the negotiations over EU’s Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) legislation, the upcoming regulations remain less strict for cryptocurrencies than those for existing financial products, the executive remarked and stated: We do not think cryptos are good news. They are difficult to fathom, vu...

Authorities and power utilities in various Russian regions have shut down illegal crypto mining farms, seizing hardware and taking operators to court. The action against the coin minting facilities comes amid discussions on a proposal to introduce criminal liability for miners breaking the upcoming legislation for the industry. ‘Underground’ Crypto Mining Farms Shut Down Across Russia Police and power suppliers have uncovered and dismantled illegal crypto mining installations in Siberia and Southern Russia, local crypto news outlets reported this week, quoting authorities. In one of the cases, the organizers of a mining enterprise have been charged with stealing large amounts of electricity. Employees of Rosseti North Caucasus found a fairly large improvised mining farm in Shpakovsky district of the Stavropol Krai. Together with law enforcement, they confiscated 66 ASIC miners, the region’s power electric company announced on Friday. A resident of the village of Nadezhda, who pl...

A European lawmaker has urged authorities to impose a ban on cryptocurrencies citing the current crisis in the banking sector as a reason. Johan Van Overtveldt, former finance minister of Belgium, believes these assets bring no economic or social value. Belgium’s Ex-Finance Minister Suggests Ban on Decentralized Digital Currencies Member of the European Parliament, Johan Van Overtveldt, has insisted that governments should prohibit cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. His call comes amid a crisis sparked by the failure of several banking institutions, including two crypto-friendly banks in the U.S. “Another lesson to be learned from the current banking commotion. Enforce a strict ban on cryptocurrencies,” the lawmaker, who has previously praised blockchain technology, tweeted on Friday. “Speculative poison and no economic or social added value. If a government bans drugs, it should also ban cryptos,” he argued. Nog een les te trekken uit de huidige bankcommotie. Leg een strikt verbod o...

General Bytes experienced a security incident on March 17 and 18 that enabled a hacker to remotely access the master service interface and send funds from hot wallets, according to the company and sources. The breach forced a majority of U.S.-based crypto automated teller machine (ATM) operators to temporarily shut down. The hacker was able to liquidate 56.28 bitcoins, worth approximately $1.5 million, from about 15 to 20 crypto ATM operators nationwide. Crypto ATM Operators Temporarily Shut Down After General Bytes Security Breach Enables Hacker to Liquidate $1.5M in Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies The largest cryptocurrency automated teller machine (ATM) manufacturer, General Bytes , has produced 9,505 such machines globally, with thousands located in the United States. On Saturday, March 18, the company informed the public of a serious security incident that occurred on March 17 as well. “We released a statement urging customers to take immediate action to protect their per...

The CEO of Blackrock, the world’s largest asset manager, has warned about additional bank seizures and shutdowns that could result from regulatory changes in response to the failures of several major banks in the U.S. “It does seem inevitable that some banks will now need to pull back on lending to shore up their balance sheets, and we’re likely to see stricter capital standards for banks,” he added. Blackrock’s Chief on More Bank Seizures, Shutdowns Larry Fink, the chairman and CEO of Blackrock, the world’s largest asset manager, shared his view on the U.S. economy and recent bank failures in his annual chairman’s letter to investors, published this week. “This past week we saw the biggest bank failure in more than 15 years as federal regulators seized Silicon Valley Bank . This is a classic asset-liability mismatch. Two smaller banks failed in the past week as well,” Fink described. Silicon Valley Bank was shut down by regulators on March 10 while Signature Bank was seized by t...

According to a presentation recently submitted by the FTX debtors on March 16, Sam Bankman-Fried’s companies had a $6.8 billion hole in their intercompany balance sheet when they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. FTX and its conglomerate of firms have debts of around $11.6 billion, including customer claims and various other liabilities. FTX’s $6.8 Billion Gap The FTX debtors have released a third presentation that provides an overview of FTX’s debts and liabilities. The presentation reveals that, while a significant amount of money is owed to customers, FTX and its few subsidiary firms also owe funds to certain vendors, counterparties, and unpaid invoices. Some of the vendors include Margaritaville Beach Resort owned by Jimmy Buffett, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Fairview Asset Management, Stripe, Meta, Trulioo, Spotify, Turner Network Television, and American Express. Advisers concluded that when FTX filed for bankruptcy, the more than 100 companies under its umbrella had...

Ethereum classic rose by as much as 12% in today’s session, as cryptocurrency markets rallied to start the weekend. The global market cap is trading over 3% higher at the time of writing, as investors continue to buy crypto following the recent banking crisis. Solana was also higher in today’s session. Ethereum Classic ( ETC ) Ethereum classic ( ETC ) rose by as much as 12% in today’s session, as traders continued to pump cryptocurrencies. Following a low of $19.14 on Friday, ETC /USD moved to a high of $22.46 to start the weekend. The move came as ethereum classic rose back above a recent floor at $20.00, hitting its strongest point since February 22 in the process. Looking at the chart, the rally also coincided with the 14-day relative strength index (RSI) breaking out of a ceiling at the 58.00 mark. As of writing, the index is tracking at 60.22, which is its highest reading since February 2. The next visible point of resistance appears to be a ceiling at 65.00, which could l...

Ethereum rose above $1,800 for the first time since August, as markets continued to react to the Fed’s decision to inject $300 billion into the economy. This comes following the recent banking crisis, which saw the likes of Silicon Valley Bank collapse. Bitcoin neared $28,000 in today’s session. Bitcoin Bitcoin ( BTC ) closed in on the $28,000 level to start the weekend, as markets continued to react to the Federal Reserve’s decision to pump liquidity into the U.S. economy. BTC /USD jumped to an intraday high of $27,787.81 earlier in the day, which comes after falling to a low of $26,209.29 on Friday. As a result of the move, bitcoin climbed a fresh nine-month high, which is its strongest point since June 2022. Looking at the chart, the surge took place as the 10-day (red) moving average crossed its 25-day (blue) counterpart. In addition to this, the 14-day relative strength index (RSI) continues to gain traction, moving deeper into overbought territory. At the time of writing,...

One of Africa’s fintech giants, Chipper Cash, is said to be weighing the possibility of selling the business or bringing in new investors. According to the CEO of the FTX and Silicon Valley Bank-backed fintech startup, Chipper Cash had insignificant exposure to both SVB and Signature Bank. Chipper Cash ‘Never Sought to Be Acquired’ The FTX and Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) backed-African fintech giant, Chipper Cash, is weighing options including the sale of the business or bringing in new investors, a Bloomberg report that cites unnamed sources has said. According to the report, the fintech, which began exploring its options before SVB’s abrupt collapse, is yet to make a final decision on which course of action it will take. As previously reported by Bitcoin.com News in late 2021, Chipper Cash successfully raised $150 million in a Series C extension that was led by the now-collapsed crypto exchange FTX. SVB, which led the first Series C, also participated in the round as did Deciens C...

Russian lawmakers have approved a draft law facilitating the implementation of the digital version of the national currency, the ruble. The legislation amends various other acts to introduce definitions and establish procedures related to the launch of the central bank digital currency. Russian State Duma Passes Digital Ruble Draft Law on First Reading The lower house of Russian parliament, the State Duma, has adopted in the first reading a bill introducing legislative changes necessary for the realization of the digital ruble project. Most notably, it seeks to amend the law “On the National Payment System.” The latter will be supplemented with legal definitions related to the central bank digital currency (CBDC) issued by the Bank of Russia. The authors also propose procedures for accessing the state-backed coin’s platform as well as for opening a digital wallet, RBC Crypto noted in a report. According to the business daily Vedomosti, the draft suggests terms like “participant o...