Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has announced the commencement of its e-HKD pilot which “will take deep dives into potential use cases in six categories.” The pilot paves the way for “the possible implementation of a retail central bank digital currency (CBDC),” the central banking institution explained. Pilot Program for e-HKD Begins The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced Thursday “the commencement of the e-HKD Pilot Programme.” The central banking institution revealed that 16 firms from the financial, payment, and technology sectors have been selected to participate in the first round of e-HKD pilots for 2023. The HKMA detailed: The pilots will take deep dives into potential use cases in six categories, including full-fledged payments, programmable payments, offline payments, tokenized deposits, settlement of Web3 transactions, and settlement of tokenized assets. “The HKMA will conduct a series of pilots in close collaboration with various stakeholders to ex...

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has announced that Venezuela will shift away from using U.S. dollars in trade, emphasizing that the de-dollarization process is “inevitable.” He described: “This is the path of Venezuela and the path of a free economy where currencies are not used to punish countries and impose sanctions.” Venezuela Shifting Away From USD in Trade The president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, said on his weekly “Con Maduro +” program earlier this week that Venezuela will shift away from using the U.S. dollar in trade. Commending Zimbabwe for its initiative to issue gold-backed digital currency, he said (as translated from Spanish by Google): Many alternative initiatives to the dollar are emerging in the world. We could say that we are beginning to experience a sustained accelerated process of de-dollarization of the commercial world — of world trade. He added that it would be good for Venezuela to study these initiatives, emphasizing that the process of de-doll...

Interest rate hikes in the euro area are already causing a decline in housing investment, the zone’s central bank revealed in a study. While smaller than in the United States, the impact of the monetary policy tightening on the Old Continent is likely to grow further, the regulator expects. Housing Investment in Europe Declining Amid ECB’s Rate Increases The series of rate hikes announced by the European Central Bank (ECB) is already depressing housing spending across the eurozone, the monetary authority has established in a study , the results of which were published on its website on Wednesday. The findings come after in early May the ECB raised its key interest rates by 25 basis points (bps), slowing the pace from previous increases. The bank has raised them by a total of 375 bps since last July, Reuters noted in a report. The impact of the rate hikes on home purchases in Europe is likely to increase in the future, although it will remain smaller than that in the United States...

Sleeping Bitcoin Wallet Awakens: $3.7M Worth of BTC Suddenly Moves After Close to 12 Years of Dormancy  Court documents filed on May 17, 2023, reveal that current executives overseeing FTX and its subsidiary, Alameda Research, have initiated a lawsuit against Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of FTX, Nishad Singh, FTX’s former director of engineering, and Zixiao “Gary” Wang, co-founder of FTX. The legal action stems from the exchange’s ambitious FTX Stocks project, which was being pursued alongside the acquisition agreement with Embed, a stock clearing service. Legal Battle Ensues as FTX Executives Accuse Former CEOs of Fraud in Relation to FTX Stocks Venture Representatives for FTX Limited and the subsidiaries Alameda Research and West Realm Shires (WRS) are suing three former FTX executives over a deal the company now believes is “worthless.” Prior to FTX’s bankruptcy protection filing, Bankman-Fried, Singh, and Wang allegedly purchased a stock clearing firm and FINRA-license...

Between 2017 and 2022, hacking groups affiliated with North Korea are thought to have stolen crypto assets worth $721 million from Japan alone. According to the findings of a study by Elliptic, hackers were primarily focused on Japan and Vietnam because operators from the two countries had lax security systems. Japan Losses Equivalent to 30% of the Global Total According to the findings of a study conducted by the blockchain intelligence firm Elliptic, North Korea coordinated cyber attacks targeting Japanese crypto assets netted $721 million worth of digital assets between 2022 and 2017. This figure is equivalent to 30% of total global losses that have been attributed to North Korea-affiliated hacker groups. As per the report in Nikkei Asia, which commissioned the study, the value of crypto assets stolen from Japan alone is 8.8 times more than North Korea’s 2021 export figure. While the cyber attackers are thought to have targeted several countries, the Nikkei report suggested tha...

Authorities in Pakistan intend to prohibit all internet-based crypto services despite significant digital-asset investments made by Pakistanis. The decision comes as government officials in Islamabad take a strong stance against the legalization of cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. Crypto ‘Will Never Be Legalized in Pakistan,’ Minister Tells Senators Pakistan’s government announced on Wednesday its decision to suspend cryptocurrency services offered online in the country, local media reported. One of the declared goals of the measure is to prevent illegal transactions with digital assets. The State Bank of Pakistan ( SBP ) and the Ministry of Information Technology have already started working on banning cryptocurrencies, Minister of State for Finance Aisha Ghaus Pasha revealed during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue. Cryptocurrency will “never be legalized in Pakistan,” Pasha insisted, quoted by the News International daily. She cited requirements by...

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio ‘Lula’ da Silva has announced that state oil company Petrobras will not be using US dollar-based international prices to set its internal fuel pricing structure. The “Brazilianization” of the industry determines discounts for distributors, with prices now being determined by other benchmarks. Brazilian President ‘Lula’ Announces New Fuel Pricing Structure; Abandons U.S. Dollar Import Parity Peg Brazilian President Luiz Inacio ‘Lula’ da Silva has announced the establishment of a new price policy for fuel and oil derivates in the country on Tuesday, breaking away from the import parity for prices pegged to the US dollar. Petrobras, Brazil’s state oil company, will now use different benchmarks to set its fuel and diesel prices for distributors. The measure, which was part of Lula’s presidential campaign promises, was called a “victory for the people” by the president. Lula informed that prices of fuel and diesel would be lowered by more than 12%, while...

The Council of the European Union has given its final approval to new regulations for crypto assets and markets in the EU. The decision completes a lengthy and complex legislative process for what’s considered to be the world’s first comprehensive legal framework for digital assets like bitcoin. EU Finance Ministers Give Final Nod to Markets in Crypto Assets Law At a meeting on Tuesday, the EU Council , composed of the finance ministers of the member states, adopted the Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) legislation. The set of rules brings crypto assets, their issuers and crypto service providers under a Union-wide regulatory framework. The formal adoption is the final step in the legislative process, the Council noted. It comes after a provisional agreement was reached in June 2022, following trilogue negotiations with the European Parliament and the Commission, and the EU lawmakers’ vote in April of this year. “I am very pleased that today we are delivering on our promise to sta...

South Africa’s BRICS Sherpa says one of the priorities at the upcoming BRICS summit is “to strengthen economic cooperation.” He added: “We need a stable global financial architecture, a global financial arena. That is why we say that we need to trade in our own currencies.” He also believes that the recession forecasts by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank will not affect the BRICS nations. BRICS Sherpa Discusses Summit Priorities South Africa’s BRICS Sherpa, Anil Sooklal, delved into the agendas and priorities of the upcoming BRICS summit under South Africa’s presidency in an interview with BRICS TV, published Wednesday. Sooklal previously taught at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of South Africa. He also served as Deputy Director General of the Asia and Middle East Department of International Relations and Cooperation until January 2022. From 2006 to 2012, he served as South Africa’s Ambassador to the European Union, Belgium, and Luxembour...

Top executives from 146 major companies in the U.S. — including Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Nasdaq, and Pfizer — have urged President Joe Biden and congressional leaders to act swiftly to prevent the U.S. from defaulting on its debt, which could occur as early as June 1. They warned of “potentially disastrous consequences” if the U.S. defaults on its debt obligations. Executives Warn of ‘Disastrous Consequences’ From US Default A total of 146 executives from major companies in the U.S. have jointly written an open letter to President Joe Biden and congressional leaders urging them to take swift action to save the U.S. from defaulting on its debt obligations. Among the letter signers are Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman, Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman, Guggenheim Partners Executive Chairman Alan Schwartz, and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla. Addressing President Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker...

Axie Infinity Origins, the blockchain-based, play-to-earn (P2E) game, has successfully cleared Apple’s rigorous App Store review process and the game’s app is now available for Apple iOS users. Sky Mavis, the creator behind Axie Infinity, has adopted a strategic approach by rolling out the game’s app in stages, with targeted release plans for various Latin American and Asian countries. Blockchain Game Axie Infinity Origins Clears Apple’s Review Following the phased release on the Google Play Store, Axie Infinity Origins is now available for Apple iOS users in select countries. The game’s developer, Sky Mavis, announced the launch of the iOS version on Wednesday. “Origins has passed review with Apple and is now available on the App Store,” Sky Mavis said. “We believe this is the first time that Apple has agreed to make an externally-purchased NFT usable on the App Store,” the team added. The blockchain-based game that leverages non-fungible token (NFT) assets, Axie Infinity, was la...

Russia’s tax administration is going to be tasked with overseeing the crypto industry in the country, a high-ranking government official has indicated. According to the regulatory concept that’s currently under consideration, the revenue service will also serve as an entry point for market participants. Russians to Report Crypto Holdings and Transactions to Their Tax Service The Federal Tax Service of Russia ( FTS ) will likely be the nation’s leading regulator for the cryptocurrency sector and admit participants to the market, Deputy Finance Minister Alexey Moiseev has said in interview with the daily Izvestia. Russian lawmakers are preparing to adopt a package of laws on crypto assets during the spring parliamentary session. According to the draft legislation designed to introduce rules for the industry, the Russian government is expected to appoint a state body that will regulate it. The matter is still under discussion, Moiseev remarked. “In the concept that we have developed,...

Kaspersky, the multinational cybersecurity and anti-virus provider, made a startling revelation on May 10th. According to their report, a victim of a crypto hack had unwittingly purchased a counterfeit Trezor Model T from a “trusted seller through a popular classifieds website.” The researchers at Kaspersky were able to extract the custom firmware that the hackers had installed on the device. This revealed that the private key was already known to the hackers before the victim had even purchased the machine. Cybersecurity Firm Kaspersky Investigates Phony Trezor Hardware Wallet It seems crypto enthusiasts need to be extra cautious about counterfeit Trezor hardware wallets circulating in the market, designed with the malicious intent of pilfering cryptocurrency holdings. This unsettling revelation underscores the imperative for heightened prudence and attentiveness when acquiring hardware devices related to digital currencies. Kaspersky, the Russia-based cybersecurity firm, exposed ...

Sleeping Bitcoin Wallet Awakens: $3.7M Worth of BTC Suddenly Moves After Close to 12 Years of Dormancy  On May 15, 2023, the number of Ordinal inscriptions surpassed the 7 million mark and as of 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday morning, 7,204,882 Ordinal inscriptions have been added to the Bitcoin blockchain. Miners have collected 1,324 bitcoin in fees by confirming inscription transactions which equate to roughly $35.86 million in added onchain fees. Bitcoin’s Inscription Frenzy: Over 7 Million Ordinal Inscriptions and Counting The unstoppable momentum of Bitcoin’s Ordinal inscriptions continues to defy detractors, surging past several milestones. With over 7 million inscriptions now firmly embedded in the blockchain, any skepticism toward demand surrounding this trend is being shattered. Today, on May 16, 2023, the tally stands at 7,204,882 inscriptions since the inaugural one occurred on December 16, 2022. The world of inscriptions experienced a significant acceleration ...

Sleeping Bitcoin Wallet Awakens: $3.7M Worth of BTC Suddenly Moves After Close to 12 Years of Dormancy  Over the past four days, there has been a surge in Ordinal inscriptions, and as a result, the BRC20 token economy has experienced significant growth with over 10,000 additional coins. The current value of the BRC20 token economy now stands at $497.75 million, comprising a total of 24,677 distinct tokens. Bitcoin Users Issued More Than 10,000 New BRC20 Tokens In a Permissionless Fashion in 4 Days Bitcoin is embracing functionalities that were previously synonymous with the Ethereum blockchain, such as the innovation of new tokens and the generation of non-fungible token assets. As the clock struck 10:43 a.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, May 16, the BRC20 token economy achieved an impressive valuation of $497.75 million. Archived records indicate that the collective market capitalization of its 24,677 distinct digital tokens has soared 16.56%, surpassing the $427 million mark obs...

Bangladesh and India have decided to conduct trade settlements in their own currencies, bypassing the dominance of the U.S. dollar. According to sources from the Bangladesh Bank, the decision was made due to the issues of liquidity in foreign currency that Bangladesh faces, which are disrupting the flow of imports to the country. Bangladesh and India to Conduct Bilateral Trade in National Currencies The governments of Bangladesh and India have decided to conduct their bilateral trade settlements in national currencies, away from the dominance of the U.S. dollar. According to local sources, the decision would have the objective of safeguarding the flow of imports to Bangladesh, which is currently facing U.S. dollar liquidity issues as a result of the effects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Furthermore, this decision would also cut a series of costs related to the usage of the U.S. dollar, switching it out for Indian rupees and Bangladeshi takas. Mezbaul Haque, executive director of ...

The global crypto market is expanding steadily despite recent bearish sentiments. Over 119 million people worldwide started owning cryptocurrencies in 2022, marking a 39% rise in total ownership . It reflects a growing demand for alternative payment methods and investment instruments. More people now believe in the potential of futuristic asset classes like crypto. Particularly since innovators are bringing novel utilities to the table. But the road ahead isn’t all rosy. We must overcome several challenges before crypto-based assets bloom fully. One key issue is the lack of simple, user-friendly, and stable instruments for beginner and pro investors. For instance, index investing, despite its strong track record in traditional finance , is mostly inaccessible to the crypto community. This exposes investors to market-related risks like high volatility, reducing their scope for diversification and generating suboptimal returns. J’JO provides a solution to these problems with its a...

The now-defunct crypto lender Blockfi has recently filed a court document outlining its plans to liquidate the company. The firm has come to the realization that selling the company would not be beneficial to its creditors. As a result, Blockfi has decided to take matters into its own hands and proceed with a self-liquidating transaction. Once the assets are distributed, the company will be wound down. Blockfi Explores Self-Liquidation and Alternative Transaction Options ​​Blockfi has recently updated the community with a notice regarding its latest disclosure statement with the bankruptcy court. The update reveals that the crypto lender has made the decision to proceed with a self-liquidation transaction after several unsuccessful attempts to sell the business. With 660,000 client accounts, the top 50 creditors are owed $1.3 billion. However, there is a glimmer of hope for some, as the latest filing notes that certain classes of claims could potentially see recoveries “as high as ...

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...