Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

Xrp plunged to a six-week low on Monday, as cryptocurrency markets moved further into the red. The global crypto market cap fell by over 3% to start the week, which comes days ahead of the upcoming U.S. inflation report. Solana also declined, hitting a multi-week low. XRP Xrp, formerly known as ripple, fell by as much as 5% on Monday, with the global market cap slipping by over 3% in the day. XRP /USD dropped to an intraday low of $0.4333 to start the week, less than 24 hours after hitting a high of $0.4606. As a result of this decline, XRP moved to its lowest point since March 25, breaking out of a floor at $0.4360 in the process. Looking at the chart, the slippage came as the relative strength index (RSI), broke out of a floor at 39.00. At the time of writing, the index is tracking at 36.04, with XRP at a level of $0.4365. Overall, the token is down 5.11% as of writing. Solana (SOL) Solana (SOL) remained in the red, as the token extended its own recent declines to a third

Bitcoin transaction fees have surged significantly in the past 24 hours, with the average fee reaching $19.20 per transfer. The increase in fees can be linked to a backlog of transactions trapped in the mempool, as over 440,000 unconfirmed transactions are currently awaiting confirmation. Block Reward Dethroned: Bitcoin Transaction Fees Surpass Mining Subsidy for the First Time Since 2017 On Sunday, May 7, 2023, bitcoin transaction fees exceeded the block reward for the first time since December 2017 at block height 788,695. Subsequent block heights 788,700 and 788,702 also witnessed fees surpassing the subsidy. At present, over 440,000 bitcoin transactions are pending confirmation with 193 blocks left to mine for clearing them all. Fees soared past the $25 mark per transaction on Sunday, and current data displays an average fee of 0.00069 BTC or $19.20 per transaction . According to bitinfocharts.com data, the median-sized fee is 0.0004 BTC or $11.05 per transfer . High-priori

Bitcoin fell below $28,000 to start the week, as markets continued to react to last Friday’s United States nonfarm payrolls (NFP) report. The payrolls report came in at 250,000 versus expectations of 180,000 jobs. Ethereum was also lower, as prices fell back below $1,900. Bitcoin Bitcoin ( BTC ) moved lower to start the week, as cryptocurrency markets continued to react to the latest nonfarm payrolls report. The number of jobs added to the U.S. economy came in higher than expected, in many’s eyes justifying the Federal Reserve’s decision to hike interest rates by 0.25%. As a result, BTC /USD fell to an intraday low of $27,691.26 earlier in today’s session, following a peak of $29,119.38 the day prior. Bitcoin chart by TradingView Overall, BTC has now fallen for a third straight session, with this latest drop sending prices to a one-week low. One of the catalysts for the decline was a breakout which took place on the relative strength index (RSI), which fell below a floo

Spanish law enforcement recently nabbed three individuals who befriended and eventually kidnapped a Syrian cryptocurrency dealer. Following their arrest, the kidnappers, who were demanding a ransom of over $1.1 million, were found in possession of weapons and fake identity documents. Syrian Crypto Dealer’s Captors Were His Party Friends Spanish law enforcement recently freed a Syrian cryptocurrency dealer from three kidnappers that were demanding a ransom of $1.12 million (or €1 million). According to a report by a Spanish-language publication, the captured trio was set to appear in court on May 6 where they were expected to face kidnapping as well as illegal possession of weapons charges. As revealed in the report, the unnamed Syrian crypto dealer had partied with the trio before the kidnapping. However, when they four met on May 3, the Hungary-based crypto dealer’s party friends pounced and started demanding the ransom money. According to the report, the crypto dealer whose comp

Welcome to Latam Insights, a compendium of the most relevant crypto and economic development news from Latin America during the last week. In this issue, Bolivia passes a law to sell gold for dollars, the Central Bank of Argentina bans fintech companies from using crypto, and Fitch improves El Salvador’s credit rating. Bolivia Passes Law to Sell Gold for Dollars Bolivia recently passed a law that will allow the government to sell up to 50% of its gold reserves in dollars, easing the internal scarcity of dollars. The law gives faculties to the government to negotiate the sale of 22 tons of gold out of the almost 44 available in the local reserves. The initiative had been presented back in 2021, but it was only recently rescued and passed by the Congress, which is dominated by the party of Bolivian president Luis Arce. Jorge Richter, a presidential spokesperson, explained the objective of the swift approval of the law. He stated : The country has a tool so that these events and sit

  The Nigerian payments startup, Nomba, is reported to have raised $30 million via a pre-Series B that was led by Base10 Partners. The new solution is expected to help the startup operate more efficiently and deliver “excellent customer experiences.” Plugging Gaps in Payment Processes Nomba, a Nigerian payments startup, has raised a US$30 million pre-Series B funding round. According to a Disrupt Africa report , the startup’s oversubscribed equity round was led by San Francisco-based Base10 Partners. Helios Digital Ventures, Shopify, Partech, and Khosla Ventures also participated in the round. As per the report, Nomba, which was previously known as Kudi, will the investment to produce a payments solution that enables it to plug gaps in its payment processes. The new solution is expected to help the startup operate more efficiently and deliver “excellent customer experiences.” Commenting on the startup’s successful capital raise, Yinka Adewale, who co-founded the payments firm in 20

  New York State Attorney General Letitia James has proposed “landmark” crypto legislation that claims to be “the strongest and most comprehensive set of regulations on cryptocurrency” in the United States. “Rampant fraud and dysfunction have become the hallmarks of cryptocurrency and it is time to bring law and order to the multi-billion-dollar industry,” said Attorney General James. NYAG Letitia James Launches ‘Landmark’ Crypto Legislation The New York State Attorney General (NYAG) Office announced Friday that Attorney General Letitia James has proposed “landmark legislation to tighten regulations on the cryptocurrency industry to protect investors, consumers, and the broader economy.” The announcement states: Attorney General James’ program bill, which proposes the strongest and most comprehensive set of regulations on cryptocurrency in the nation, would increase transparency, eliminate conflicts of interest, and impose commonsense measures to protect investors, consistent with r

  Increasing regulatory pressures, tax burden and energy costs in countries like the U.S. and Kazakhstan are likely to result in a new great migration of crypto miners, Russian analysts believe. Under such a scenario, Russia has what it takes to occupy up to 18% of the global bitcoin hashrate, they claim. Russia May Attract Half of Kazakhstan’s Cryptocurrency Miners The Russian Federation has a chance to increase its leadership in the field of crypto mining, against the backdrop of negative developments for the industry elsewhere. According to specialists from Intelion Data Systems, a major Russian importer and distributor of mining hardware, the country’s share in the Bitcoin hashrate can potentially reach 18%. As of January 2022, Russia accounted for nearly 4.7% of the global hashrate, according to calculations by the Cambridge Center for Alternative Finance, ranking fifth among major mining destinations. However, the toughening of policies towards the sector in the leading coun

  Central banks have continued to consistently purchase gold during the first quarter of 2023, according to the latest report of the World Gold Council (WGC), the global gold statistics organization. Central banks added nearly 230 tonnes of gold to their national reserves, representing a 176% rise compared to the purchases made in Q1 2022. World Gold Council Registers Strong Gold Demand From Central Banks Central banks have registered a strong demand for gold during the first quarter of the year, according to the latest report of the World Gold Council (WGC), which keeps global statistics on gold production and demand. According to its Gold Demand Trends report, central banks kept buying gold consistently, adding nearly 230 tonnes during Q1 2023. This represents a rise of 176% over what these institutions purchased in Q1 2022, signaling strong demand. However, when compared to the numbers from the last quarter, central banks and other institutions reduced their demand significantly

  In just under two weeks, the number of unconfirmed transactions on the Bitcoin network has skyrocketed from 134,000 to over 390,000, causing a bottleneck in the mempool. This surge in unconfirmed transactions has resulted in a staggering 343% increase in transaction fees, which have risen from $1.99 per transaction on April 26 to a current rate of $8.82 per transaction as of May 7. Bitcoin miners are struggling to keep up with the demand, leaving many users frustrated and unable to complete their transactions in a timely manner. Bitcoin Network Struggles with Unprecedented Traffic and Soaring Fees As of Sunday, May 7, 2023, the Bitcoin network is experiencing a major traffic jam due to an overwhelming number of unconfirmed transactions. The latest statistics reveal that a whopping 390,000 transfers are currently stuck in limbo, waiting for confirmation. This backlog can be attributed to the surge in minting and transferring of Ordinal inscriptions and BRC20 tokens, which have flo

  Louisiana Republican senator John Kennedy recently stated in an interview published on Wednesday that the U.S. Federal Reserve may need to increase the federal funds rate to 8-10% to address the country’s inflationary pressures. Kennedy’s remarks come after he criticized the Biden administration in mid-March for bailing out Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, emphasizing that the decision to make all depositors whole “was a bail out,” regardless of what it was called. Senator John Kennedy: ‘Powell’s Gonna Have to Raise Rates Much Higher Than He Normally’ During a recent interview with CNBC, Louisiana Republican senator John Kennedy expressed his belief that the U.S. central bank will need to increase the benchmark bank rate from its current level of 5% to around 8-10% to combat inflation. Kennedy went on to state that Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell will have to raise rates much higher than usual if Congress does not slow down its stimulus spending. On the same day tha

  Since April 18, 2023, the total value locked (TVL) in decentralized finance (defi) has been fluctuating just below the $50 billion threshold. As of today, the TVL amounts to $49.31 billion, registering a 1% increase within the last 24 hours. TVL in Defi Shows Signs of Improvement, Yet to Surpass Previous Record of $53 Billion Currently, the combined TVL across all defi platforms stands at $49.31 billion as of May 6, 2023, with Lido Finance leading the pack by commanding a 24.82% share of $12.24 billion on Saturday. Over the past month, Lido’s TVL has grown by 9%, while posting a moderate 2.42% increase in the preceding week. The remaining top five candidates in today’s defi landscape include Makerdao, Aave, Curve Finance, and Uniswap; three out of these four experienced monthly downturns, with Uniswap being the exception by posting a 3.48% gain over the past 30 days. Ethereum takes the lion’s share of this TVL with its $28.66 billion accounting for over 58% of the defi market ca

  After the second largest bank failure in history, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is reportedly investigating First Republic Bank executives for allegedly engaging in insider trading. Two sources have claimed that the securities regulator is scrutinizing the bank’s executives for making trades using confidential information. Although the sources have not named any specific individuals under investigation, they assert that the SEC is looking into the matter. Furthermore, reports indicate that U.S. lawmakers sold shares of the troubled bank before it collapsed and was acquired by JPMorgan Chase. Securities Watchdog Investigates First Republic Execs On May 1, 2023, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) took control of First Republic Bank, a San Francisco-based financial institution, and placed it under the receivership of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). With $229 billion in assets, this was the second largest bank

  Cryptocurrency exchange Binance is facing a U.S. probe over suspected violations of sanctions against Russia, according to a media report. The inquiry is looking into whether the trading platform was used by Russians to circumvent financial restrictions imposed over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Crypto Exchange Binance Faces Another US Probe, Sources Say The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is trying to establish if Binance Holdings , the operator of the world’s largest crypto exchange, has been used to allow Russians to evade Western sanctions, Bloomberg revealed, quoting multiple sources familiar with the matter. According to five people who chose to remain anonymous, the Department’s national security division is looking at whether the company or its officials have violated restrictions introduced in relation to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as part of a confidential investigation. “The probe, which hasn’t previously been reported, is moving on a parallel track with an existing

  Four days ago, the market capitalization of all the BRC20 tokens built on top of the Bitcoin network was a modest $95 million. However, over the past four days, the BRC20 market valuation has seen tremendous growth, increasing by 192% and reaching $279 million. More Than 13,000 BRC20 Tokens Built on Bitcoin Are Now Worth $279M The BRC20 token standard, which is built on top of the Bitcoin network, is gaining momentum and the BRC20 token economy is flourishing. As of Sunday, May 7, 2023, the BRC20 token economy is valued at $279.07 million , with approximately 13,530 tokens in circulation. This marks a significant increase from just four days ago when the BRC20 token market capitalization was $95 million and there were around 10,487 BRC20 tokens. The top ten most valuable BRC20 tokens today are ordi, pepe, piza, meme, moon, punk, domo, oshi, xing, and shib. Ordi is currently the most valuable BRC20 coin, with a single ordi token exchanging hands for $9.46. With a market valuation

Software developer Jason Dreyzehner says smart contracts “comparable to Ethereum,” but remarkably more efficient will be made possible by the May 15 upgrade coming to the Bitcoin Cash network. In other news, the world’s largest regional organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) plans to switch to settlements in national currencies, moving away from the U.S. dollar. This and more, just below, in the latest Bitcoin.com News Week in Review. Bitcoin Cash Smart Contracts ‘Comparable to Those on Ethereum’ Possible via May Upgrade, ‘1000x Efficiency Advantage’: Dev Jason Dreyzehner Pro-freedom technologies advocate and software developer Jason Dreyzehner recently spoke with Bitcoin.com News via email about the upcoming Bitcoin Cash network upgrade on May 15. One of the most talked about improvement proposals set to go through on that date — which proponents view as a boon to economic freedom — is the Cashtokens CHIP. Beyond UTXO-level token creation, the upgrade will allow

A strategist at Swedbank, a Swedish bank, has warned that the regional banking crisis in the U.S. is spreading. After several bank failures, he stressed that Pacwest Bank, Western Alliance Bank, and First Horizon Bank have all been “subject to financial meltdowns.” Swedbank on U.S. Banking Crisis Spreading Pär Magnusson, a fixed income strategist at Swedbank, a Swedish bank based in Stockholm, has warned about the spreading of the U.S. banking crisis. He reportedly said : After Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, First Republic Bank and now potentially Pacwest Bank, Western Alliance Bank, and First Horizon Bank all having been subject to financial meltdowns, the proverbial cat will be very difficult to put back into the bag. First Republic Bank was seized by regulators last week and most of its assets were sold to JPMorgan Chase. It was the biggest U.S. bank failure since 2008. Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank collapsed in March. Following the seizure of First Republic

On May 4, in a recent Youtube video, Validus Power Corp.’s executive director, Greg Foss, discussed the potential for the banking industry’s failures to wipe out $10 trillion in equity. Foss expressed his support for “hard assets” such as real estate, gold, and bitcoin. He believes that bitcoin, the leading crypto asset, is one of the best hard assets available. According to Foss, bitcoin provides insurance against “the failure of a basket of fiat currencies.” Foss Supports Holding Hard Assets Like Real Estate, Gold, and Bitcoin In less than two months, chaos has erupted in the U.S. banking industry following the second, third, and fourth-largest bank failures in the country’s history. During a conversation with Kitco’s lead anchor and editor-in-chief, Michelle Makori, Greg Foss weighed in on Fed chairman Jerome Powell’s recent statement that the U.S. banking system is “sound and resilient.” “I think Jerome Powell is a horrible poker player,” Foss opined to Makori. “There’s ano

Platforms authorized by the Russian government issued digital assets worth around a billion rubles in April, the local press reported. The spike in the volume has been attributed to Russian companies experimenting with new financial instruments amid limited access to traditional capital. Russia’s Digital Assets Market Livens Up as Capital Markets Dry Up for Russian Businesses Seven placements of digital financial assets (DFAs) for a total of about 1 billion rubles ($13 million) were made in Russia last month, the Kommersant reported . Experts quoted by the business daily note that while this market is still rather small, significant projects may be expected by the end of this year. DFAs are relatively new instruments in Russia defined in the law “On Digital Financial Assets” that went into force in January 2021. Unlike decentralized cryptocurrencies, which are yet to be comprehensively regulated, these represent “digital rights” to securities or utility tokens and must have an issu

The U.S. Federal Reserve has revealed that 722 banks reported unrealized losses exceeding 50% of their capital at the end of the third quarter of 2022. “Rising interest rates are creating significant unrealized losses in investment securities and in some cases depressing tangible equity,” according to the Fed’s Division of Supervision and Regulation. 722 Banks Reported Unrealized Losses of More Than 50% of Capital The U.S. Federal Reserve has revealed in a board presentation by the Division of Supervision and Regulation that 722 banks reported unrealized losses exceeding 50% of their capital at the end of the third quarter of 2022. The presentation, released to the public in April, is dated Feb. 14. It highlights the impact of raising interest rates on certain banks and the Fed’s supervisory approach to address issues at these banks. “Rising interest rates are creating significant unrealized losses in investment securities and in some cases depressing tangible equity,” the Fed pres

A high court in the United Kingdom recently set aside a proprietary injunction that was issued against the crypto exchange Binance. In its application challenging the injunction, Binance said the action had been taken without notice. Binance also said it could not comply with the injunction since it was granted after the fraudulently acquired crypto assets in question were moved. Claimant Proceeded Against Binance Without Notice A United Kingdom high court recently ruled to set aside an interim proprietary injunction against the cryptocurrency exchange Binance. The interim injunction, which required Binance to preserve a certain amount of cryptocurrency, was issued after a victim of cryptocurrency fraud claimed to have traced the stolen funds to the crypto exchange. According to a recent post on the law firm Herbert Smith Freehills’ blog , the discharge of an injunction against Binance is one of the first known cases where a cryptocurrency exchange has challenged granting a proprie

In the past week, sales of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have increased by 1.46%, raking in a total of $149,312,180. However, while the number of NFT buyers has risen by 22.48%, the number of NFT transactions has decreased by 8.78% compared to the previous week. Azuki Emerges as Top-Performing NFT Collection This Week With 504.96% Sales Surge Over the past week, non-fungible token (NFT) sales have experienced a modest uptick, rising by 1.46% compared to the previous week. In total, NFT sales amounted to $149.31 million, with Ethereum-based NFT sales accounting for $108,272,701 of that figure. Ethereum NFT sales made up 72.5% of all digital collectibles sold in the past week. The latest statistics reveal that Ethereum NFT sales have surged by 22.79% this week. This week, Solana-based NFT sales made up $12,225,000 of the total sales, however, this marks a 56.64% decrease from the previous week. Ethereum and Solana sales still lead the pack, followed by Mythos, Polygon, and Immutable X