Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

According to the token protocol startup Noble, the second-largest stablecoin, USDC, will be integrated into the Cosmos blockchain, as the company has partnered with Circle Financial for the rollout. Noble details that the integration will give access to Circle’s USDC stablecoin to more than 50 Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) networks. USDC Native Support Is Coming to the Cosmos Blockchain Noble , a token issuance protocol startup, has revealed the Cosmos network of IBC protocols will support USDC. The team introduced Noble last week in a blog post that describes the protocol as an “app-chain purpose-built for native asset issuance in Cosmos and the boundless Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) ecosystem.” On Tuesday, Noble announced its partnership with Circle Financial to bring USDC to the Cosmos ecosystem. “This is a huge moment for our ecosystem,” Noble said on Tuesday. “Cosmos has never had a native, fiat-backed stablecoin that is highly liquid [and] fully collateralize...

Former Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of the Treasury Monica Crowley has warned of “catastrophic” consequences if the U.S. dollar loses its status as the world’s reserve currency. “That would mean the end of the U.S. dollar,” she said, predicting that “there would be a complete implosion of the global economic system.” Crowley Warns of ‘Catastrophic’ Consequences if the U.S. Dollar Loses Global Reserve Currency Status Monica Crowley, former Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of the Treasury, explained on Fox News Saturday what would happen if emerging economies move away from the U.S. dollar towards the Chinese yuan and the USD is no longer the world’s dominant currency. She stressed: It’s really hard to overstate exactly how catastrophic the abandonment of the U.S. dollar would be as the world’s global reserve currency. Crowley explained that since the end of World War II, the dollar has been considered a safe haven. I...

According to a recent white paper published by four members of the law firm Cooper & Kirk, PLLC, U.S. bank regulators are attempting to “drive crypto businesses out of the financial system.” The paper, titled “Operation Chokepoint 2.0,” claims that after laying the groundwork by labeling lawful businesses as “reputationally risky,” federal bank regulators, with the help of state officials, “turned to the task of purging their accounts from each of the banks subject to their supervision.” Constitutional Issues Raised by Operation Chokepoint 2.0: Depriving Businesses of Due Process and Key Structural Constitutional Protections Five days ago, Bitcoin.com News published an article that examines recent discussions in the crypto community regarding “Operation Chokepoint” and why crypto proponents believe the U.S. government aims to eliminate access to cryptocurrencies. On Monday, the Washington D.C. law firm Cooper & Kirk published a white paper on the subject, noting that U.S. ...

Steve Hanke, professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins University, has criticized bitcoin, stating it is not a currency. The economist, known for his vocal opinions about crypto and for the promotion of dollarization initiatives in Latam, blasted bitcoin, saying it has a “fundamental value of zero,” and that it is a “highly speculative asset.” Steve Hanke Criticizes Bitcoin’s Function and Value Steve Hanke, professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins, has criticized bitcoin and its value in one of his latest tweets. The economist, known to be very vocal about the negative effect that crypto can have on world economies, contested bitcoin’s utility, stating : Bitcoin is not a currency. It’s just a highly speculative asset with a fundamental value of zero. Hanke illustrated his opinion with a cartoon drawn by Robert Rich, as part of his work for Hedgeye Risk Management, where he compares other main fiat currencies including the dollar, the yen, and the euro, with bitcoin...

President Nayib Bukele is promoting El Salvador as the “new land of the free,” as part of an invitation for foreigners to move to the Latam country. Bukele tweeted a poster in vintage American style that included several advantages that the country brings its citizen, including the adoption of bitcoin as legal tender. EL Salvador’s ‘New Land of the Free’ Campaign Invites People to Move in With Bitcoin as Legal Tender President Nayib Bukele is inviting people to move to El Salvador. Bukele posted a poster in vintage American style where he depicts a classic American family in a living room, calling his country “the new land of the free,” a motto usually applicable to the U.S. The poster serves to exhibit the achievements that, according to him, his government has reached, principally in the security and monetary policy areas. The poster calls for people to move to El Salvador, explaining that there are “no fentanyl crisis,” “no shootings” and “no lootings,” as a product of the tigh...

Tim Draper, a venture capitalist and bitcoin millionaire, has included bitcoin as part of a series of cash management recommendations offered to startup founders. Draper recommended having at least two payrolls worth of cash in bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies to avoid being affected by bank failures like the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). Tim Draper Touts Bitcoin as Hedge Against Bank Failures Tim Draper, a well-known venture capitalist and crypto enthusiast, has recommended bitcoin as part of his cash diversification advice for business founders. Draper, known for winning an auction of 30,000 bitcoins from the U.S. Marshals back in 2014, and for his bitcoin price predictions , posted a document on Twitter that comments on several considerations businesses should make in the face of bank failures. The document , which presents seven different ways to avoid a cash crunch, states: Since boards and management are responsible for making payroll, even in times of crisis, it...

After the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission sued Binance for alleged violations of trading and derivatives rules, a significant amount of cryptocurrency was withdrawn from the exchange. Data from analytics provider Nansen shows $400 million in Ethereum-based funds were withdrawn in 24 hours, and 3,655 bitcoin worth more than $99 million were withdrawn over the past day, according to Coinglass metrics. 3,655 Bitcoin Withdrawn From Binance in 24 Hours On Monday, March 27, 2023, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) sued Binance and CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ), alleging the exchange had violated specific trading and derivatives rules. The CFTC is seeking disgorgement and monetary penalties, as well as a ban on future registrations. Following the news, Binance experienced a large number of withdrawals, and some observers noted “large onchain movements prior” to the exchange’s troubles with the CFTC. “A few hours before the Binance CFTC Indictment, there were large...

Despite Bitcoin’s difficulty reaching an all-time high at 46.84 trillion, participants in bitcoin mining have kept the hashrate running stronger than ever before. According to statistics, on March 23, 2023, the hashrate reached a high of 400 exahash per second (EH/s). The 400 exahash equates to 0.4 zettahash or four hundred quintillion hashes per second. As the hashrate continues to climb, research analyst Sam Wouters at River Financial estimates that at the current growth rate, Bitcoin could reach the zettahash era “by the end of 2025.” Reasons for the Increase in Bitcoin Hashrate: Insights from River Financial Analyst Two days ago, Bitcoin.com News reported that the difficulty of the Bitcoin network had increased for the third consecutive time in the last six weeks. The difficulty is now at an all-time high of around 46.84 trillion after increasing by 7.56% on March 23, 2023. On the same day, Bitcoin’s hashrate peaked at 400 exahash per second, representing an unimaginable four...

Microstrategy has purchased 6,455 bitcoins for approximately $150 million at an average price of $23,238 per coin. With its latest purchase, Microstrategy now holds 138,955 bitcoins acquired at an average of $29,817 per coin. Moreover, the company also paid off its loan from troubled Silvergate Bank in full. Microstrategy Buys More Bitcoin Nasdaq-listed Microstrategy Inc. (Nasdaq: MSTR) announced Monday that it has acquired 6,455 more bitcoins. CEO Michael Saylor tweeted: Microstrategy repaid its $205M Silvergate loan at a 22% discount. As of 3/23/23, MSTR acquired an additional ~6,455 bitcoins for ~$150M at an average of ~$23,238 per bitcoin & held ~138,955 BTC acquired for ~$4.14B at an average of ~$29,817 per bitcoin. In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday, the company detailed that the 6,455 bitcoins were acquired between Feb. 16 and March 23. Repayment of Silvergate Loan The filing further explains that the Nasdaq-listed softwar...

Bitcoin started the week trading around the $28,000 mark, as markets reacted to the news that Silicon Valley Bank was to be acquired. First Citizen Bank agreed to buy approximately $72 billion in SVB assets, at a discounted rate of $16.5 billion. Ethereum continued to trade under $1,800 on Monday. Bitcoin Bitcoin ( BTC ) started the week trading marginally higher, with prices hovering near the $28,000 level. Following a bottom at $27,678.15 on Sunday, BTC /USD moved to a high of $28,178.14 earlier in today’s session. The move saw bitcoin edge towards a recent resistance point at the $28,300 mark, which was last hit on Friday. Bitcoin chart by TradingView Overall, BTC has mostly consolidated on Monday, which comes as the 14-day relative strength index (RSI) collided with a ceiling at the 65.00 zone. As of writing, the index is tracking at the 64.51 level, with the next visible point of support at the 62.00 mark. Should bulls take price strength below this point, there i...

Despite being touted as the possible panacea, decentralized finance (defi) still faces obstacles which greatly diminish the prospects of mainstream adoption, asserts serial entrepreneur and CEO of Radix DLT, Piers Ridyard. Ridyard added that while defi is seen as “a fantastic proof of concept,” widespread adoption of this alternative to traditional finance is only possible when the developer and user experience is improved. Developer Incentives and Mass Adoption of Defi Besides improving developer and user experience, the Radix CEO told Bitcoin.com News that the provision of ongoing and sustainable support to developers ensures “you [don’t] end up with a ghost chain.” Ridyard, a YC Alumni, also shared thoughts on how defi and Web3’s scaling woes can be overcome. Ridyard further discussed Coinbase’s attempt to bolster developers with its recently launched layer 2 (L2) blockchain and why this is unlikely to result in the envisaged mass adoption of defi. Below are the CEO’s answers ...

Jan Nieuwenhuijs, a gold market analyst, has predicted that gold might exceed prices of $8,000 during the next decade, as the current Ukraine-Russia war, and the worldwide battle against inflation, shift the preference of central banks for foreign currencies to gold. The proposed long-term price model shows that each troy ounce of the metal might touch the $10,000 mark. Analyst Makes Case for $8,000 Gold Prices Jan Nieuwenhuijs, a gold market researcher, has predicted that the price of gold might exceed $8,000 during the next decade, as central banks shift their reserve preferences due to macroeconomic factors and war. Nieuwenhuijs believes that the current conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and the global war against inflation, will trigger a change in the composition of reserves. As part of his analysis, which considers the historical percentage of gold held by central banks as a key metric, Nieuwenhuijs states : Central banks in aggregate have an unusual faith in foreign exc...

The number of irretrievably lost bitcoins has now reached 6 million, which leaves 13.3 million as coins that remain in circulation, Timothy Peterson of Cane Island Alternative Advisors has said. Peterson added that out of the 1.7 million bitcoins that will be mined in the next 100 years or more, one million coins will be lost in the same period. One Million Lost Bitcoins According to Timothy Peterson, an author and manager of Cane Island Alternative Advisors, the number of irretrievably lost bitcoins has now reached 6 million. In his latest tweet on the subject, Peterson asserts that from the estimated 19.3 million bitcoins that had been mined by March 25, 2023, only 13.3 million remain in circulation which is “probably all you will have access to in your lifetime.” I estimate that, as of this week, 6 million of the 19.3 million #bitcoin mined have been irretrievably lost. (See related research at https://t.co/ULso76SXjD ) This means 13.3 million remain with only 1.7 million lef...

According to the Montenegro-based newspaper Vijesti, Do Kwon, the co-founder of Terraform Labs, also known as Kwon Do-hyung, is appealing the detention extension ordered by a Montenegrin court. Kwon was arrested on March 23, 2023, after being caught at Podgorica Airport in Montenegro while traveling with fraudulent identification documents. Report Says Kwon’s Legal Representation Aims to Appeal 30-Day Detention Extension Three days ago, Montenegro’s Interior Minister Filip Adzic announced on Twitter that Do Kwon, the co-founder and CEO of Terraform Labs, was arrested on Thursday for presenting forged identity documents. Kwon’s location was unknown for some time, with speculation that he was hiding in Singapore or possibly Dubai. The Montenegrin police stated that Kwon’s fraudulent documents originated from Costa Rica and Belgium. According to the Montenegrin newspaper Vijesti and local media , Kwon’s legal team is seeking to appeal his 30-day detention extension. Kwon is facing s...

As of March 25, 2023, the U.S. government held 205,515 bitcoins worth $5.6 billion, which is approximately 1.06% of the circulating supply, according to current statistics. The cache of bitcoins is a result of three forfeitures that began in 2020. Glassnode’s on-chain data reveals that on March 9, about 9,860 bitcoins worth roughly $269 million were sent to a Coinbase address. Uncle Sam’s Crypto Stash: How the U.S. Government Became a Top Bitcoin Holder The U.S. government currently holds 205,515 bitcoins valued at $5.66 billion based on today’s exchange rates. The bitcoins were confiscated in three cases, including the Silk Road bitcoin seizure in November 2020, the 2022 Bitfinex hack confiscation , and the seizure of bitcoins from James Zhong last year. Of the total, 69,369 BTC was seized from “Individual X,” 94,643 BTC was taken from Ilya Lichtenstein and his wife Heather Morgan , and 51,326 BTC was seized from Zhong in November 2022. According to a report from Glassnode ...

According to statistics, on March 26, the stablecoin economy was valued at $135 billion, with the top stablecoins representing $31.8 billion or 75% of the $42.17 billion in 24-hour global trade volume across the entire crypto market. In the last two weeks since March 11, 7.06 billion USDC and 351.57 million BUSD have been redeemed. Meanwhile, from March 14 to March 26, the number of tether stablecoins in circulation increased by 6.12 billion. Stablecoin Circulation Changes In recent weeks, the supplies of some stablecoins have decreased while others have increased. Today’s top ten stablecoins include USDT , USDC, BUSD, DAI, TUSD, FRAX, USDP, USDD, GUSD, and LUSD. According to statistics for the last month, USDC, BUSD, and GUSD experienced double-digit reductions in supply. The other top ten stablecoin assets recorded supply increases, with TUSD’s supply doubling or rising 112.3% higher than it was 30 days ago. Among other stablecoin assets, liquity usd (LUSD) rose 16.2% and tether...

Venture capitalist Balaji Srinivasan says hyperinflation is happening now, and is making million-dollar bets that the price of bitcoin will reach $1M in 90 days. In related news, myriad voices from the world of finance are sounding off about inflation, recession, and a brewing economic crisis. In spite of the economic turmoil, however, Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell doesn’t envision the Fed cutting interest rates this year. This and more just below in the Bitcoin.com News Week in Review. Balaji Srinivasan Says Hyperinflation Happening Now — Makes Million-Dollar Bets on Bitcoin Price Exceeding $1M in 90 Days Venture capitalist and angel investor Balaji Srinivasan says hyperinflation is happening now. Expecting the price of bitcoin to soon hit $1 million, he is making million-dollar bets that it will happen in 90 days. Srinivasan also advised investors to buy bitcoin, which he believes to be “a hedge against hyperinflation, monetary debasement, bank freezes, and wealth seizure.”...

Nasdaq intends to launch its custody services for digital assets like bitcoin by the end of this year’s second quarter. The exchange operator is among those traditional financial firms that want to play a role as intermediaries in the crypto sector which saw the collapse of some major players. Stock Exchange Nasdaq Seeks Regulatory Approval as Crypto Custodian U.S. exchange operator Nasdaq plans to launch its own custody services for crypto assets by the end of June. The company moves into the industry in the aftermath of a series of failures such as the bankruptcy of FTX , one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges. The group is now working to obtain the necessary approvals from regulatory bodies that will allow it to provide such services, Bloomberg reported on Friday, quoting Ira Auerbach, senior vice president and head of Nasdaq Digital Assets. Nasdaq has already applied to the New York Department of Financial Services for a limited-purpose trust company charter, which would...