Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Bob Menendez have reintroduced the “Accountability for Cryptocurrency in El Salvador Act,” known as the “ACES Act,” for discussion in the Senate. The piece of legislation seeks to examine the level of adoption of bitcoin as a legal tender in El Salvador and how this might affect the financial stability of the country. ‘Accountability for Cryptocurrency in El Salvador (ACES) Act’ Reintroduced in U.S. Senate U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Bob Menendez have reintroduced the “Accountability for Cryptocurrency in El Salvador Act,” also known as the “ACES Act,” to be discussed in the U.S. Senate. The piece of legislation , that was previously presented to Congress on March 23, 2022, seeks to examine the process applied to make bitcoin legal tender in El Salvador, as well as its effect on the economy of the country. When reintroducing the ACES Act, U.S. Senator Jim Risch reinforced the perceived need to assess the possible effects of using crypto as legal tender....

In a recent interview, the renowned investor Paul Tudor Jones expressed his perspective on bitcoin, acknowledging that there might be regulatory challenges ahead. However, Jones emphasized his unwavering commitment to the dominant cryptocurrency, affirming that he maintains “a small diversification” in his investment portfolio and always will. Paul Tudor Jones on Bitcoin: ‘I’m Sticking With It, and I’m Going to Always Stick With It’ In an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” this week, the legendary hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones shared his insights on both bitcoin (BTC) and the U.S. economy. Jones expressed his view that the U.S. Federal Reserve might have gone overboard with its actions, asserting that any rate hikes are unlikely to occur this year. Furthermore, he suggested that inflation could persistently decrease, bringing the Federal Reserve closer to achieving its objectives of controlling inflation than anticipated. Nonetheless, this decline in inflation could present...

On May 15, 2023, the Bitcoin Cash network achieved another annual milestone by seamlessly integrating four cutting-edge features into its consensus ruleset. At precisely 1:24 p.m. UTC on Monday, the eagerly anticipated upgrade went live, marking a significant leap forward for the peer-to-peer electronic cash platform. Bitcoin Cash fans believe the transformative changes are set to revolutionize the blockchain’s ecosystem. Bitcoin Cash Network Takes a Leap Forward With 4 New Ruleset Changes At Bitcoin Cash block height 792,772 , the network successfully upgraded the blockchain. The upgrade is more developer focused and average BCH users do not need to do anything. Only miners and full node operators need to upgrade their BCH software to be compatible with the ruleset changes. Over time, specific bitcoin cash (BCH) compatible wallets can upgrade as well and incorporate some of the new improvements like Cashtokens. Today’s upgrade features four new elements which include: Cashtok...

Bitcoin was back in the green on Monday, as prices climbed back above the $27,000 level to start the week. Prices slipped to a two-month low over the weekend, however momentum has marginally shifted. Ethereum was also higher today. Bitcoin Bitcoin ( BTC ) jumped back above the $27,000 level to start the week, as sentiment showed glimpses of shifting after last week’s bear run. Following a low of $26,762.25 on Sunday, BTC /USD raced to an intraday peak of $27,521.62 earlier in today’s session. The move saw the world’s largest cryptocurrency continue to move away from a floor at $26,500, and a recent two-month low. Bitcoin chart by TradingView Monday’s rise in price sees bitcoin move higher for a second straight day, breaking out of a ceiling on the relative strength index (RSI) in the process. At the time of writing, price strength is now tracking at 43.66, which is marginally above the aforementioned resistance at 43.00. Bulls will now likely be looking to reenter the $...

Analysts have criticized the new ‘de-risking’ strategy that the U.S. is currently using against China, explained by U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in April, clarifying that national security was over economic costs. These de-risking policies might affect bilateral trade, which fell by 11.2% to $217.9 billion during the first four months of 2023. ‘De-Risking’ Is a Euphemism for Decoupling U.S. and China Relations, Analysts State Analysts are criticizing the ‘de-risking’ strategy of the US against China. The term, which was mentioned by the U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan last month, is used to explain the position that the U.S. is adopting in front of the growth and policies of China on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. And while U.S. Treasury Secretary Yanet Yellen has previously stated that a full decuple of the economies of the two countries would be “disastrous,” Chinese analysts believe that this is just a semantics choice. Zhou Xiaoming, a senior researc...

PRESS RELEASE. Reef is thrilled to announce the launch of a $10 Million Accelerator Program for Web3 projects building on the Reef Chain, which are based out of the Middle East. The program, managed by Reef Labs, aims to support, incubate, and invest in promising Middle East-based Web3 developers, teams, and projects building on the Reef Chain. The rise of blockchain/Web3 applications in the Middle East are setting the stage for remarkable technological progress and innovation. Reef has already made a significant impact in the region by securing the Best Ecosystem Award at The Middle-East Blockchain Awards. Driving Growth in the MENA Region: The Accelerator Program seeks to drive Reef’s vision for growth, making it the de-facto blockchain in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. Ideas selected as part of this initiative will benefit from the financial support provided by Reef’s venture partners, along with mentorship, marketing, and business development assistance from...

A member of the South Korean parliament is leaving his party amid mounting allegations of massive crypto investments inconsistent with his frugal public image. The controversy, which has caught the attention of the Korean society, involves accusations of conflict of interest and other irregularities. Lawmaker Leaves South Korean Opposition Party Over Crypto Holdings Kim Nam-kuk, a representative in the South Korean National Assembly, announced he will leave his political faction amid a growing scandal surrounding his alleged cryptocurrency dealings. In a Facebook post on Sunday, he wrote: Today, I am briefly leaving the Democratic Party that I love. I decided that it would not be right to be a burden to the party and party members any longer. Kim came under intense scrutiny after revelations that he owned around 800,000 Wemix coins in 2021, Yonhap reported. At the time, the digital assets were worth around 6 billion won ($4.5 million), “a significant amount inconsistent with hi...

Chinese and French foreign ministers have expressed readiness to strengthen cooperation and pursue a “close and enduring comprehensive strategic partnership,” according to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This followed a “successful” meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping. China and France to Strengthen Relations State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang held talks with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna in Paris last week, according to a statement by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to the Chinese foreign ministry, both Qin and Colonna view French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to China as “a complete success,” stating that the French leader “had an in-depth exchange of views with President Xi Jinping during his visit to China and deepened his understanding of China.” The Chinese foreign minister stated: “China is ready to work with France to follow through on the important com...

Harvard economics professor Kenneth Rogoff, who previously served as the chief economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has warned that the U.S. defaulting on its debt obligations could spark a global financial crisis. “It’s a very perilous situation and we are in unknown waters,” he warned. Harvard Professor of Economics Kenneth Rogoff on U.S. Default and Global Financial Crisis Harvard economics professor Kenneth Rogoff shared his view on the U.S. economy, a possible U.S. default, and a global financial crisis in an interview with ET editor Srijana Mitra Das, published Thursday. Rogoff is a professor of Economics and Maurits C. Boas Chair of International Economics at Harvard University. From 2001–2003, he served as Chief Economist and Director of Research at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He was asked whether the current U.S. debt crisis and its potential default could “bring back the risks of a global recession.” Rugoff replied: Absolutely. The risks exist ...

Billionaire hedge fund manager Stanley Druckenmiller has a dire prediction for the U.S. economy: a recession is looming, and it’s likely set to hit this June. Druckenmiller’s forecast comes as American consumer spending remains low, and is largely driven by credit card usage. Druckenmiller, a seasoned investment mogul, warns that it would be foolish to ignore the possibility of a “really, really bad” scenario unfolding. Druckenmiller Cites Drop in Consumer Spending and Banking Industry Turmoil as Recession Indicators At the 2023 Sohn Investment Conference in San Francisco, Stanley Druckenmiller sounded the alarm on the U.S. economy. While others may be optimistic about a “soft landing,” the seasoned hedge fund manager is bracing for impact, predicting a “hard landing” instead. Druckenmiller, who has enjoyed 30 years of success in the hedge fund industry, cited the sharp drop in consumer spending and the recent banking industry turmoil as key factors behind his forecast. Drucken...

Twitter CEO Elon Musk has shared what he calls a “massive incentive” to get money out of bank accounts, noting “bank depositor flight will accelerate to extreme levels, even for banks that are ‘too big to fail.’” Personal finance coach and author Dave Ramsey, for his part, thinks that de-dollarization fears are overblown. In crypto news, Bitcoin’s network congestion issues began to ease this week. All this and more just below, in the latest Bitcoin.com News Week in Review. Elon Musk Shares ‘Massive Incentive to Move Money out of Bank Accounts’ Tesla and Twitter CEO Elon Musk has shared a “massive incentive” to move money out of bank accounts, citing a significant interest rate gap created by the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve. “As more people & companies realize this, bank depositor flight will accelerate to extreme levels, even for banks that are ‘too big to fail,’” Musk warned. Read More Dave Ramsey Dismisses De-Dollarization Concerns — Says BRICS Currency, Chinese ...

Despite not being mainstream payment solutions yet, cryptocurrency-based payments (also known as Web3 payments) already bring benefits such as lower transaction fees, Robert Miller, the vice president of growth at Fuse, a layer 1, EVM-compatible blockchain for launching dapps, has asserted. For merchants, Web3 payments come with the added benefit of what Miller called protection from “fraudulent chargebacks.” Crypto Payments Trump Traditional Payment Methods To back his assertions, Miller claimed many of the merchants that are presently experimenting with or encouraging their customers to use Web3 payments are doing so because they are seeking a better deal than what they are getting from traditional payment providers. Miller, however, conceded that Web3 payments are still at their infancy stages and as such they come with certain limitations which hinder their adoption. In his written responses to questions from Bitcoin.com News, Miller also highlighted the security challenges tha...

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said it’s working closely with Ukraine to help it trace crypto transactions of Russian sanctions evaders. The agency is providing the Ukrainians access to a Chainalysis tool as well as specialized training to Ukrainian law enforcement. IRS Offers Ukraine Tools From Chainalysis to Trace Russian Blockchain Transactions The criminal investigation division of the United States Internal Revenue Service announced it’s stepping up collaboration with counterparts abroad as part of efforts to identify persons and entities evading Western sanctions. The agency revealed it’s working with blockchain forensics firm Chainalysis and Ukrainian investigators to track Russians who might be using cryptocurrencies to conceal their assets amid financial restrictions imposed over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. According to a report by Bloomberg, the IRS is sponsoring Ukraine’s access to a Chainalysis tool facilitating crypto-related probes. It has also organized t...

Sleeping Bitcoin Wallet Awakens: $3.7M Worth of BTC Suddenly Moves After Close to 12 Years of Dormancy  A recent Gallup Poll reveals a significant decline in the percentage of Americans favoring real estate as their preferred long-term investment, despite its continued popularity. Conversely, the Gallup survey indicates that the perception of long-term investments in gold has experienced an almost twofold increase compared to the previous year’s poll on the same topic. Gallup Poll Reveals Preference for Real Estate and Crypto Slides, While Bias Toward Gold Nearly Doubles Gallup, Inc., the analytics and advisory company headquartered in Washington, D.C., recently unveiled its latest Gallup Poll on long-term investments on May 11, 2023. With a history dating back to 1935, Gallup has been conducting public opinion polls worldwide. The poll, conducted from April 3 to April 25, 2023, delves into various investment options such as real estate, gold , stocks, bonds, and crypto asset...

Sleeping Bitcoin Wallet Awakens: $3.7M Worth of BTC Suddenly Moves After Close to 12 Years of Dormancy  Russian lawmakers intend to soon approve four bills designed to regulate various aspects of cryptocurrencies, a high-ranking member of the Russian parliament announced. Meanwhile, Russian companies are already using digital assets in cross-border settlements, the official noted. Russian Legislature to Vote on Crypto Laws by End of July The State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, plans to adopt four crypto-related laws during its spring session which ends on July 30, according to Anatoly Aksakov, chairman of the parliamentary Financial Market Committee. The bills are tailored to regulate cryptocurrency mining , cross-border crypto payments, taxation of digital assets , and liability for their illegal use, the lawmaker detailed, quoted by the Interfax news agency. He emphasized that the draft laws are well thought through. Aksakov remarked that large Russian co...

Sleeping Bitcoin Wallet Awakens: $3.7M Worth of BTC Suddenly Moves After Close to 12 Years of Dormancy  EY, the global accounting and professional services organization, released a long-awaited update on Friday for the creditors of Quadriga CX. The Canadian cryptocurrency exchange, which had sought bankruptcy protection in 2019 with liabilities of C$215.7 million and assets totaling around C$28 million, had left its creditors in a state of uncertainty. In the latest notice from EY, it was revealed that Quadriga creditors will receive a payout equivalent to 13.094156% of the total value of their claims. EY’s Update Offers Redemption for Quadriga CX Creditors With Haircut Compensation Plan After enduring a protracted bankruptcy process that commenced in 2019, Quadriga CX ‘s customers and creditors can finally breathe a sigh of relief as they are set to receive a payout from the estate. Once the dominant cryptocurrency trading platform in Canada, Quadriga faced a tumultuous journe...

Sleeping Bitcoin Wallet Awakens: $3.7M Worth of BTC Suddenly Moves After Close to 12 Years of Dormancy  Despite several U.S. dollar-pegged digital tokens experiencing notable redemptions in recent months, the largest stablecoin by market valuation, tether, is on the verge of achieving its highest-ever market capitalization. With a current value of $82.84 billion, tether is a mere $433 million shy of reaching its all-time high (ATH) set on May 8, 2022. Stablecoin Tether on Brink of Record Market Capitalization Approximately 370 days ago, specifically on May 8, 2022, tether’s ( USDT ) market capitalization soared to an all-time high (ATH) of $83.279 billion. It was during this period that Terra’s once-stable coin, terrausd (UST), became unpegged from its $1 parity. Following that event, tether’s market valuation experienced a decline, hitting a low of $65.36 billion on November 24, 2022, resulting in a loss of 21.51% of its total market capitalization. Since then, tether’s mar...

Sleeping Bitcoin Wallet Awakens: $3.7M Worth of BTC Suddenly Moves After Close to 12 Years of Dormancy  On Friday, Ethereum’s Beacon chain encountered yet another bout of transaction finality challenges, reminiscent of the glitch experienced on May 11, 2023. For over an hour, the blockchain stopped the process of finalizing blocks. However, Superphiz, an Ethereum developer, emphasized that despite this setback, “No transactions were halted” and the incident had “zero impact on chain activity.” Developers Insist Ethereum’s Transaction Finality Glitch Is Now Patched In a span of two consecutive days, the Ethereum blockchain encountered transaction finality challenges, commencing on May 11, 2023 , and recurring on May 12. Although the initial incident lasted a mere 25 minutes, the glitch on Friday persisted for over an hour. The exact cause of these halts remains uncertain, although speculation arose regarding potential complications related to staking clients and MEV glitches. In...