Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

Former U.S. National Football League (NFL) quarterback Tom Brady’s estranged wife Gisele Bundchen has said she was “blindsided” by the collapse of crypto exchange FTX. Bundchen claimed that she only invested in FTX because her financial advisors recommended it. Bundchen and Brady’s Shareholding in FTX Gisele Bundchen, a fashion model and the estranged wife of former NFL quarterback Tom Brady, has said she only invested in Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX because her financial advisors told her to do so. In remarks published in the Daily Mail, Bundchen suggested that she, just like other FTX investors, was “blindsided” by the crypto exchange’s spectacular collapse. According to the Daily Mail, the celebrity model reportedly held more than 680,000 shares in the collapsed crypto exchange, which were at one point valued at $57 million. Brady, on the other hand, held more than 1.1 million FTX shares when the crypto exchange collapsed. Besides being a shareholder, Bundchen was the crypto exchang...

Roughly ten days ago, the credit agency Moody’s Investors Service downgraded the U.S. banking sector from “stable” to “negative.” In a recent update on Thursday, the company stated that there is still a risk to the U.S. economy. The managing director of credit strategy at Moody’s explained that the country “will be unable to curtail the current turmoil,” and it could spread “beyond the banking sector.” Moody’s Analysts Anticipate Greater Financial and Economic Damage From U.S. Banking Spillover Effects In a note sent out on Thursday, Moody’s managing director of credit strategy Atsi Sheth explained that the U.S. may not be able to contain the banking turmoil that started two weeks ago. The commentary follows Moody’s recent downgrade of the U.S. banking industry, which was slashed from “stable” to “negative.” The credit agency applied the downgrade after three major U.S. banks collapsed, and the contagion spread to other U.S. banks and a few international financial institutions. “...

The establishment of sanctions by the Trump administration towards PDVSA, the state oil company in Venezuela, reportedly forced the hand of the government in the country to find alternative means of payment for crude oil. According to reports, more than $3 billion are missing from these payments that were brokered by Sunacrip, the national crypto watchdog. However, documents reviewed estimate that the hole might be closer to $20 billion. As a result of this, Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami stepped down and Sunacrip’s former chief, Joselit Ramirez, has been arrested as part of a corruption probe. Further, Sunacrip is enacting a nationwide bitcoin mining shutdown “while things calm down.” How Venezuela Used Crypto to Sell Oil, Sidestepping U.S. Sanctions In January 2019, when PDVSA, the state oil company in Venezuela, was included among the entities sanctioned by the U.S government (as part of measures Washington took to torpedo efforts of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro to keep...

A company used to conceal the movement of Onecoin-related funds was transferred to a young Romani woman in Bulgaria, local media revealed. The report follows the extradition to the U.S. of the head of legal and compliance at the crypto pyramid scheme, accused of enabling Onecoin to launder millions of dollars through such entities. Unsuspecting Woman Agreed to Have Company Linked to Onecoin Registered Under Her Name On Monday, Bulgarian authorities handed over to U.S. custody Irina Dilkinska, former head of legal and compliance at Onecoin. The crypto Ponzi scheme, which raised over $4 billion from investors around the world, is believed to have moved millions of U.S. dollars through shell firms which Dilkinska allegedly helped to establish. One of these companies, B&N Consult, generated €200 million ($217 million at current rates) in 2015 and 2016, according to the Tuesday announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice about her extradition to the United States, where she is ...

PRESS RELEASE. Calgory, Alberta, March 24th 2023, Chainwire. Toshi Tools, an all-in-one crypto information app, is launching to provide crypto traders with the tools they need to succeed. An intuitive design and suite of unique features will empower users to navigate the complex world of cryptocurrency markets. The first recipients of the Toshi Tools app will be Tier 1 wallet holders, who hold at least 0.4% of the $TOSHI token supply, followed by everyone else. The team behind the app are determined to provide an easy-to-use interface that solves the information overload that is a major pain point within the crypto industry. The app includes a real-time wallet-tracking solution to help users follow the smart money and monitor their own trades. Toshi Tools displays the top crypto market performers by wallet ID, sorted daily. Artificial intelligence (AI) will further enhance the application, with Open AI’s GPT-3 machine learning integrated into the platform. This integration allows...

Following recent enforcement action against various crypto entities and celebrities, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has issued an advisory notice to investors telling them to be cautious of risks associated with crypto asset securities. The U.S. securities regulator insists that specific entities offering crypto asset investments or services “may not be complying with applicable law, including federal securities laws.” Securities Watchdog Warns of Risks Associated With Crypto Asset Securities Amid Recent Enforcement Action On March 23, 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published an “ Investor Alert ” that claims investors should “exercise caution” when dealing with “crypto asset securities.” Essentially, the SEC explains that if someone is to consider investing in a crypto asset they should know that cryptocurrencies can be “exceptionally volatile and speculative, and the platforms where investors buy, sell, borrow or lend these securities may lack...

According to the Nigerian central bank governor, central bank digital currency or e-naira transactions have gone up 63% to $47.7 million, while the number of downloaded wallets since Oct. 2022 is around 13 million. The governor attributed the rise in the value of CBDC transactions to the Nigerian government’s use of the e-naira when transferring social welfare funds to marginalized groups. Rise in CBDC Transactions Coincides With Drop in Value of Circulating Currency The value of Nigeria’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) transactions surged by 63% to $47.7 million (₦22 billion) while about 13 million e-naira wallets have been downloaded since Oct. 2022, the Nigerian central bank governor has said. Addressing local journalists on March 21, Governor Godwin Emefiele also revealed that the currency in circulation dropped from over $6.9 billion (₦3.2 trillion) seen in Sept. 2022 to around $2.2 billion (₦1 trillion). As previously reported by Bitcoin.com News, the drop in the value ...

Hindenburg Research, a financial research firm, has issued a report claiming that Jack Dorsey’s Block, formerly known as Square, has facilitated fraud for criminals, allowing them to conduct criminal activities using the platform. The report alleges that the company failed to exert know-your-customer (KYC) procedures, leading to inflated user metrics. Jack Dorsey’s Block Accused of Facilitating Fraudulent Activities Hindenburg Research, a financial research firm, has issued a report alleging that Block, the company formerly known as Square which pivoted to blockchain and mining, was involved in the facilitation of fraud schemes, and also inflated its user metrics by not enacting mandatory KYC procedures. The report, published on March 23, discusses that the company allowed each user to have dozens or even hundreds of Cash App accounts, with criminals taking advantage of the mission of the company, directed to serve the underbanked and the underserved. According to Hindenburg, fo...

Economist Peter Schiff has warned that inflation is poised to worsen significantly and Americans’ cost of living “is going to go way up.” Citing that the Federal Reserve is financing a “massive bailout” for banks, he stressed: “This is going to cost Americans a lot of money.” Peter Schiff’s U.S. Inflation Warning Economist and gold bug Peter Schiff explained why inflation is about to get much worse in the U.S. and Americans’ cost of living is about to increase significantly in several interviews this week. Commenting on recent bank failures , he said in an interview with Fox Business: It’s because of the government that Silicon Valley Bank was in the position that it was. The reason it owned so many long-term, low-yielding U.S. Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities was because the Fed kept interest rates at zero for so long. The economist added that banking regulators “pushed banks” into those risky investments “because they give them favorable accounting treatment.” He ela...

A finance professor emeritus at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Jeremy Siegel, expects the price of bitcoin to fall when people feel they are “safe in the banks again.” Following the collapse of several major banks, he noted that “Bitcoin is enjoying its biggest rally in a long time.” Professor Siegel Wants Government to Temporarily Insure ‘All Deposits Everywhere’ In his weekly commentary published by New York-based asset manager Wisdomtree on Monday, Professor Jeremy Siegel shared his views on the U.S. economy, bank failures, and bitcoin’s price outlook. Siegel is a professor emeritus of finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania who currently serves as a senior investment strategy advisor to Wisdomtree. Following the collapse of several major banks, including Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, many people have urged the government to guarantee all deposits temporarily to restore confidence in the banking system and avoid runs on s...

Sushi, the Web3 exchange that pivoted into a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), is seeking to organize a legal defense fund. If approved, the proposal, which already is available for voting, will put $3 million USDT as part of a fund to defend itself from legal actions against the organization and its members. The organization disclosed it had recently received a subpoena from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Sushi DAO Presents Proposal to Establish Legal Defense Fund Sushi DAO, a Web3 exchange and staking platform, is seeking support to establish a legal defense fund in order to effectively take on legal cases that are already coming its way. The proposal , which is currently being approved with the support of 75% of the vote at the time of writing, would allow the organization to make use of $3 million USDT to help its maintainers to defend from demands and legal cases. If approved, the fund would come from Kanpai, which is part of the treasury of th...

The German government has allocated $1.2 million in funding for a metaverse game being developed by Flying Sheep Studios. The company, based in Cologne, will use the funds for the development of a game called Star Life, which will also include blockchain elements in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Flying Sheep Studios Raises $1.2 Million From the German Government Flying Sheep Studios, a Cologne-based metaverse startup, has recently announced that it raised $1.2 million from the German government. The funds raised will be used to develop an online metaverse game called Star Life, a multimedia online role-playing experience. The funding, which came from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, is part of the allocation that the federal government uses to support interactive experiences. This raise has allowed the company to hire an additional workforce to accelerate the completion of the game. Thomas Rössig, managing director of Flying Sheep Stu...

Metamask users in Nigeria can now directly and instantly buy crypto assets within the mobile app, Consensys and its Web3 infrastructure partner Moonpay have said. According to a Consensys executive, rolling out this feature helps to reduce friction while bringing down barriers that block or stop Nigerians from embracing Web3. Purchasing Crypto via Instant Bank Transfers Consensys, one of the leading Web3 firms, has said users of the Metamask wallet in Nigeria can now directly purchase crypto assets within the mobile app. To help it make this possible, Consensys partnered with the Web3 infrastructure company Moonpay. The addition of this feature allows users from the country to purchase crypto assets without having to set up accounts with centralized crypto exchanges. In a March 21 joint statement , Consensys said the decision to enable direct purchases had been prompted by the very high number of declined or blocked transactions when the method of payment is a credit or debit card....

On Wednesday, the multichain wallet Bitkeep announced it raised $30 million from the crypto derivatives platform Bitget. Bitkeep now has an overall valuation of $300 million, with goals aimed at strengthening the links between decentralized finance (defi) and centralized finance (cefi). Bitget Invests $30 Million in Bitkeep; Wallet Firm Is Now Valued at $300M Crypto derivatives exchange Bitget has announced that it has invested $30 million in the multichain wallet company Bitkeep , making it the startup’s controlling stakeholder. Bitget detailed on Wednesday that the wallet will gain access to the exchange’s technology and security features. Bitkeep is a multichain wallet that allows users to connect to various defi applications and non-fungible token (NFT) projects. Bitkeep wallet users can access blockchains like Bitcoin ( BTC ), Solana (SOL), Fantom (FTM), Polygon (MATIC), Tron ( TRX ), Heco (HT), Ethereum ( ETH ), Binance Smart Chain (BSC), and OEC (OKT). The wallet managed to...

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has sent Coinbase a “Wells notice” about potential violations of securities law. The Nasdaq-listed cryptocurrency exchange noted that, unlike what SEC Chairman Gary Gensler said, the securities regulator “will not let crypto companies ‘come in and register.'” Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong explained: “A Wells notice typically precedes an enforcement action.” Coinbase Receives a ‘Wells Notice’ From SEC Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase (Nasdaq: COIN) announced Wednesday that it has received a “Wells notice” from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) “regarding an unspecified portion of our listed digital assets, our staking service Coinbase Earn, Coinbase Prime, and Coinbase Wallet after a cursory investigation.” Coinbase detailed in a blog post: Today’s Wells notice does not provide a lot of information for us to respond to. The SEC staff told us they have identified potential violations of securities law, but little ...

Bitcoin moved closer to a fresh nine-month high on Wednesday, as markets prepared for today’s Federal Reserve interest rate decision. The Fed is expected to hike rates by 0.25%, despite inflation falling last month to 6%. Ethereum briefly rose above $1,800 in today’s session. Bitcoin Bitcoin ( BTC ) closed in on a fresh nine-month high in today’s session, as markets continued to anticipate today’s Federal Reserve rate decision. Following a low of $27,785.11 on Tuesday, BTC /USD surged to an intraday peak of $28,439.56 earlier in today’s session. The move sees bitcoin move back towards a recent nine-month high, which was recorded earlier in the week. Bitcoin chart by TradingView This latest surge in price comes as the 14-day relative strength index (RSI) attempted to break out of a ceiling at 72.00 As of writing, the index is tracking at 71.70, which is its highest reading since early-February, and deep in overbought territory. Traders are likely waiting for this afterno...

According to Claudio Riff, the CEO of Pooky, a sport prediction game powered by blockchain, gaming may be one of the more effective ways of getting users to experience the potential of blockchain and Web3 without dealing with the associated complexities. Onboarding People to Web3 Through Gaming Pointing to the gaming industry’s appeal and reported market value of over $200 billion in 2021, the CEO of Pooky postulated that having more blockchain-based games could potentially help “onboard a critical mass of users onto Web3.” In written responses sent to Bitcoin.com News via Whatsapp, Claudio Riff , an early-stage investor, explained why using games to educate users about Web3 technologies is believed to be more effective than doing so the conventional way. He also highlighted the difference between sports betting and a new phenomenon known as sport prediction and why the latter is seen as a better game. Below are Riff’s responses to the questions from Bitcoin.com News. Bitcoin.co...

PRESS RELEASE. Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, March. 22nd , 2023, Undeads Metaverse , a highly anticipated AAA Web3 game, is excited to announce a competition for Undeads NFT holders. The competition will be broken down into three prizes. The first prize is the coveted MAYC NFT, while the second prize is the Bored Ape Kennel Club NFT. The third prize is the Otherdeed NFT. Each prize is worth fighting for, as all three NFTs are blue-chip digital assets that any NFT collector would love to have in their portfolio. A total prize pool value exceeds 20ETH. The competition is straightforward. To win the MAYC NFT, participants have to mint and reveal the 4th rarity level zombie with specific traits. The traits of required zombie will are listed in rules of the contest that ends on April 10 . The BAKC NFT will go to the holder of another epic zombie, while the Otherdeed NFT will be awarded to the person who mints the rare 3rd level rarity zombie with specific traits. The beauty of this ...

The Central Bank of Venezuela is lagging when it comes to delivering economic data this year, failing to publish the inflation numbers for the last four months. Venezuelan economists believe this delay might mean that the country is starting to enter a new hyperinflation period, with the government trying to hide it by not offering up the figures. Central Bank of Venezuela Owes Public Four Months of Economic Data The Central Bank of Venezuela has not published the economic data corresponding to the last four months, making economists worried about the cause of the delay. The institution still has not issued the inflation figures corresponding to November 2022, December 2022, January 2023, or February 2023, leaving consulting firms blindfolded and unable to make recommendations to their affiliated companies when it comes to economic strategy. But according to Jesus Casique, a Venezuelan economist, inflation figures are just the tip of the iceberg regarding the missing data. Casique ...