Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

Mastercard has introduced its Multi-Token Network (MTN), an app store powered by blockchain technologies for building regulated financial applications. “MTN represents one of Mastercard’s most ambitious projects in the digital asset space to date,” said the payment giant’s head of crypto and blockchain. “Our goal is to support the wider digital asset industry and interested parties to help fortify confidence in its future.” Mastercard Unveils Multi-Token Network Raj Dhamodharan, Mastercard’s head of crypto and blockchain, announced in a blog post on Wednesday: Today, we are taking the next step on our journey with the introduction of Mastercard Multi-Token Network, a tailor-made solution for the industry. “Our vision for MTN is to provide a set of foundational capabilities designed to make transactions within the digital asset and blockchain ecosystems secure, scalable, and interoperable — ultimately enabling more efficient payment and commerce applications,” he explained. The ...

The U.S. state of North Carolina has advanced a bill to study holding cryptocurrencies, particularly bitcoin, in the state treasury. The bill appropriates $50,000 from the state’s general fund to study three areas, including “The process of acquiring, securely storing, insuring, and liquidating … virtual currency, such as bitcoin, that may be held on behalf of the state.” North Carolina Explores Holding Bitcoin The U.S. state of North Carolina has advanced House Bill 721 (HB721) titled “State Precious Metals Depository Study.” The bill appropriates $50,000 from the state’s general fund, which is made up of tax revenues, excluding transportation, to the state treasurer to conduct a study that examines three key areas. The first area involves: The process of acquiring, securely storing, insuring, and liquidating … virtual currency, such as bitcoin, that may be held on behalf of the state. The second area is the “expected impact of allocating a portion of the general fund” to “virt...

Change The Code, a Greenpeace-backed initiative that seeks to change Bitcoin’s consensus algorithm, has blasted Wall Street companies for the support they are showing to Bitcoin-related activities. On social media, it has called out companies like Fidelity, Blackrock, JPMorgan, and Goldman Sachs, stating their actions propping up climate-destroying technologies are “unacceptable.” Change the Code Rails Against Wall Street Incumbents Change The Code, a campaign that seeks to change Bitcoin’s consensus algorithm to “fix” its energy consumption, has called out Wall Street companies for their support of Bitcoin activities. The initiative, backed by Greenpeace and EWG, has criticized the recent push of financial incumbents toward Bitcoin-related investments. Change The Code explained that Fidelity, Blackrock, Vanguard, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, and Citi held shares in 24 mining companies valued at over $1.35 billion, accusing Wall Street of “going all in on Bitcoin” and directly suppor...

Bitcoin rebounded on Thursday, as markets reacted to the news that Microstrategy bought an additional $374 million worth of the cryptocurrency. Michael Saylor’s firm now has 152,333 bitcoin, worth roughly $4.52 billion. Ethereum moved closer to $1,900 on the news. Bitcoin Bitcoin ( BTC ) edged higher in today’s session, after it was confirmed that Michael Saylor’s Microstrategy purchased 12,333 BTC . Following the news, BTC /USD hit a high of $30,740.79, which comes after the price bottomed out at $29,921.82 the day prior. Today’s rally has seen BTC briefly break out of a resistance level at the $30,700 mark, however bulls are struggling to sustain this. At the the time of writing, bitcoin is trading at $30,678.73, with the relative strength index (RSI) nearing a ceiling of its own at 68.00. Price strength is now at 67.02, with earlier bulls seemingly opting to secure some gains as the aforementioned resistance looms. In the event this zone is breached, there is a good chance...

While non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are generally believed to represent the link between an owner and an asset, without platforms acting as “digital notaries” there can be no effective way of stopping scammers from minting and selling plagiarized works, Shaban Shaame, the co-founder of Wakweli protocol has argued. Tokenizing Real-World Assets According to Shaame , the ease with which anyone (including scammers) is able to generate a certificate of authenticity for an NFT only further highlights the importance of having such an authenticating entity. In addition to using tools such as digital notaries, the co-founder of Wakweli — a Layer-1 protocol that issues certificates of authenticity for NFTs & real-world assets — said NFT users must learn to do their own research. NFT traders should always triple-check transactions they sign or the projects they join, Shaame added. Also, in his written answers to questions sent from Bitcoin.com News, the co-founder also offered his thoughts o...

PRESS RELEASE. Mind Network , an innovative platform leading the way in data security and privacy within the Web3 ecosystem, is delighted to announce the successful completion of its initial funding round, raising $2.5 million. Binance Labs, Comma3 Ventures, SevenX Ventures, HashKey Capital, Big Brain Holdings, Arweave SCP Ventures, Mandala Capital, and other notable investors participated in the funding round. Mind Network has emerged as a frontrunner in the Web3 arena, providing users with end-to-end encryption and granting them full control over their personal data, financial transactions, and user interactions. By incorporating the principles of Zero Trust Security, Zero Knowledge Proof, and proprietary Adaptive Fully Homomorphic Encryption techniques, the platform ensures robust protection and access control within the decentralized ecosystem. “We are extremely pleased to receive the support and confidence of such esteemed investors,” stated Mason, representing Mind Network ...

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has reconsidered a decision to delist some privacy tokens in several European markets. The leading coin trading platform will continue to offer trading in these digital assets after revising their classification to comply with EU regulations. Binance to Continue Support for Certain Privacy Coins Despite Earlier Intentions to Remove Them The world’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume, Binance, has decided to reverse a plan to delist privacy-oriented cryptocurrencies in several EU jurisdictions. The move comes after the company received feedback from some of the projects and traders. Last month, Binance informed customers it intends to remove 12 privacy coins in France, Spain, Italy, and Poland. Those set to be delisted on June 26 were dash ( DASH ), verge (XVG), beam (BEAM), monero ( XMR ), navcoin (NAV), firo (FIRO), horizen (ZEN), secret (SCRT), zcash (ZEC), pivx (PIVX), decred (DCR), and mobilecoin (MOB). At the time, the exchange cited lo...

U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) has promised to ensure that “your right to use and hold bitcoin is inviolable” if he is elected U.S. president. “Bitcoin is not only a bulwark against totalitarianism and the manipulation of our money supply, it points the way toward a future in which government institutions are more transparent and more democratic,” said the presidential hopeful. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Bitcoin Promise U.S. Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) has made a promise regarding bitcoin if he is elected president of the United States. Kennedy is a son of former U.S. Attorney General and Senator Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy. RFK Jr. tweeted Tuesday: As president, I will make sure that your right to use and hold bitcoin is inviolable. “Bitcoin is not only a bulwark against totalitarianism and the manipulation of our money supply, it points the way toward a future in which government ins...

Binance’s attempt to prevent the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from making public statements alleging that the crypto exchange mishandled U.S. customers’ assets has been denied by the judge overseeing its enforcement case. A former SEC head of internet enforcement warned that the motion may “prompt the criminal authorities to expedite whatever action, if any, they plan on taking with respect to Binance.” Judge Denies Binance’s Motion Against SEC Binance’s motion against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was denied by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on Monday. The motion was filed as part of the case in which the SEC charged Binance , CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ), and Binance US with securities law violations. The cryptocurrency exchange filed a motion asking Judge Jackson to prevent the securities regulator from making public statements alleging that Binance and Zhao mishandled the assets of U.S.-based customers. The cryptocurrency exchange argued that the SEC h...

Lately, the media has been captivated by the possibility of a grid collapse and the devastating economic consequences it would entail. Curiously, the internet is teeming with headlines suggesting the plausibility of such a collapse, whether caused by cyberattacks, physical assaults on infrastructure, equipment malfunctions, or even the notion of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) incapacitating the most influential energy providers. Antiquated and Fragile Power Grids Putting U.S. and Global Economies on Edge In recent months, the media has honed in on the potential for a grid collapse. On June 27, 2023, Wired writers Maryn McKenna and Matt Simon elucidated in an editorial that although the power system may possess resilience, it is not impervious to vulnerabilities. The article delves into the implications of scorching heat waves and questions whether contemporary power stations can withstand the demands. The authors elaborate on the detrimental impact hurricanes and earthquakes can ha...

After briefly rising above $31,000, bitcoin consolidated on Wednesday, as bulls moved to secure recent gains. The uncertainty came as crypto custodian Prime Trust entered receivership, after being found to be illiquid by authorities. Ethereum also declined, once again falling below $1,900. Bitcoin Bitcoin ( BTC ) consolidated on Wednesday, as traders opted to secure profits following a recent bull run. BTC /USD broke out of a key resistance level at $30,800 on Tuesday, on its way to a peak at $31,006.79 late in yesterday’s session. However, take profit orders seemed to have been triggered, with bitcoin dropping to an intraday low of $30,169.78 today. Bitcoin chart by TradingView As mentioned yesterday, the relative strength index (RSI) was approaching a ceiling at 73.00, and it appears that bulls were unable to move beyond this point. The index is now tracking at the 66.45 mark, which comes after price strength was unable to stop at a support level at 68.00. Should this dow...

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) said it plans to issue a wholesale central bank digital currency as a pilot via SIX Digital Exchange, a subsidiary of SIX, an operator of infrastructure for the Swiss and Spanish financial centers. SNB chairman Thomas Jordan said while the Central Bank has not ruled out launching retail CBDCs, the bank is being “a little bit prudent at the moment.” ‘This Is Not Just an Experiment’ The Swiss central bank said on June 26 it intends to issue wholesale central bank digital currency on SIX Digital Exchange, a subsidiary of SIX, an operator of infrastructure for the Swiss and Spanish financial centers. According to Thomas Jordan, the chairman of the Swiss National Bank (SNB), the pilot CBDC project is expected to commence soon and will run for a limited period. However, the SNB chairman who spoke at the Point Zero Forum , revealed that the experiment would involve the use of a real money equivalent. “This is not just an experiment, it will be real money equ...

The Dubai Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA) recently announced the schedule of fees “covering the issuance of no-objection certificates to proprietary traders, amendments or withdrawal of licence applications, and the submission of whitepapers for VARA review.” According to VARA, licensed entities seeking to completely withdraw from Dubai will be asked to pay a license withdrawal fee of $3,670. Whitepaper Submission and Review The Dubai digital asset regulator, Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA), recently unveiled a schedule of fees for “the issuance of no-objection certificates to proprietary traders, amendments or withdrawal of licence applications.” Also, in its June 21 announcement, the regulator stated will be accepting and reviewing whitepaper submissions. According to the announcement, proprietary traders in the country will be required to have a so-called no-objection certificate (NOC) before commencing any “proprietary trading in or from the Emirate of Dubai...

The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) executive director for Russia says a growing number of countries are switching to trade in Chinese yuan, not only with China but also with third countries. He stressed that it is wrong for the U.S. dollar to be widely used globally given that the U.S. government uses the currency “for the purposes of national interests” and “the economic and financial obligations of one country.” IMF Director on De-Dollarization Gaining Momentum Worldwide The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) executive director for Russia, Aleksei Mozhin, shared his thoughts on the global de-dollarization trend in an interview with RIA Novosti Monday. He explained that Washington’s policies and actions have compelled countries around the world to seek alternatives to the U.S. dollar, noting that more nations are ramping up the use of alternative currencies, particularly the Chinese yuan, in cross-border transactions. The IMF executive director described: We can see that I...

On Monday, FTX released a second investigative report accusing co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried and senior executives of commingling customer deposits and corporate funds and misusing them. The report alleges that they spent $243 million on luxury residential real estate for senior staff and family members, as well as on commercial properties. FTX Execs Accused of $243 Million Real Estate Spending Spree, Retaliation, and Fraud A second investigative report by FTX debtors alleges that “commingling and misuse of FTX.com customer deposits occurred for several years.” The report criticizes this fraudulent practice for making it “extraordinarily challenging” to trace the origins of specific transactions or distinguish between operating funds and customer assets. As part of the report, it states that FTX.com owed customers $8.7 billion as of the date of the bankruptcy petition. “The image that the FTX Group sought to portray as the customer-focused leader of the digital age was a mirage,” th...

According to several reports, Chibi Finance, the decentralized finance (defi) platform built on top of Arbitrum, allegedly executed an exit scam on its users. Blockchain intelligence firm Peckshield provided a detailed account, revealing that approximately $1 million worth of cryptocurrency assets were illicitly withdrawn and converted into Ethereum. Chiba Finance Becomes 12th Defi Platform on Arbitrum to Exit Scam, Says Smart Contract Auditor Certik On June 27, 2023, the blockchain analysis and intelligence firm Peckshield’s Twitter alert system notified the community about funds being drained from the DeFi application Chiba Finance. “Seems like Chiba Finance rugged,” Peckshield’s alert disclosed on Tuesday. “$1M worth of cryptocurrencies were drained. The stolen funds, which have been swapped for 555 ETH , were bridged from Arbitrum to Ethereum. They have already been transferred into Tornado Cash,” the notice added. All traces of Chiba Finance, including the website, Twitter ac...

Bitcoin mining is the highest user of sustainable energy and has similarly achieved the highest increase in sustainable energy mix between July 2019 and June 2023, new data has shown. The data also shows that bitcoin mining’s emission intensity has declined from more than 500 g/kWh seen in July 2021 to the June 2023 figure of 296 g/kWh. Bitcoin Mining Has the Highest Increase in ‘Sustainable Energy Mix’ According to the data comparing bitcoin mining to other industries’ energy mix, the process to extract the top cryptocurrency ranks as “the highest user of sustainable energy (52.6%) across sub-sectors.” The data shows the banking sector as the next highest user of clean energy with 39.2%, while the gold industry is ranked fourth with 12.8%. The data, which is based on the so-called Bitcoin Energy and Emissions Sustainability Tracker (BEEST) model , indicates that Bitcoin mining has also achieved the “highest increase in [the] sustainable energy mix (+38%) during the period charted ...

PRESS RELEASE. Prepare yourself for the highly anticipated public sale of $GORA on June 28th by staying informed and ready. Rest assured, we have all the vital information about the two launchpads, Poolz and Tokensoft, to guide you through the process seamlessly. This concise guide will provide you with valuable insights and specifics about these platforms, enabling you to navigate the sale with ease. Don’t miss your chance to secure $GORA tokens through Poolz and Tokensoft and be an integral part of the revolutionary Goracle Network. Get ready to join the action! IDO Overview Date: Wednesday, June 28th, 10:00 A.M. UTC Location: we are launching on the following launchpads Tokensoft: Goracle Portal . A well known IDO platform with successful project launches such as The Graph, Tezos & Hedara Hashgraph To participate, complete your KYC (Know Your Customer) process today by visiting http://goracle.tokensoft.io . This step is essential to comply with regulatory requir...

While the co-founder of Terraform Labs has been sentenced to four months in jail in Montenegro, a team of six anonymous developers have been attempting to revive the Terra Classic ecosystem after its collapse in May 2022. The six programmers, known as the “Six Samurai,” wholeheartedly believe that luna classic (LUNC) has “limitless upside potential.” Developers Rally to Breathe Life Into Terra Classic Following the collapse of the Terra ecosystem in May 2022, a new blockchain called Phoenix was formed, and the network issued new luna (LUNA) tokens. However, the old blockchain, now referred to as the “Classic” network, continues to exist and has a market valuation of approximately $531 million as of Monday, June 26, 2023. The native token of the Terra Classic chain, now known as luna classic (LUNC), currently trades at around $0.00009140 per unit. A group of developers, self-identified as the “Six Samurai,” now aims to revive the struggling network and infuse new life into the Terr...

Global investment bank JPMorgan has presented four probable global outlook scenarios, with “boil the frog” recession emerging as the most likely outcome. The bank’s economists warned: “Broad-based developed-market tightening points to a more synchronized global downturn sometime in 2024.” JPMorgan’s Global Outlook and ‘Boil the Frog’ Recession Global investment bank JPMorgan has provided an overview of four potential global outlook scenarios that it expects to unfold in 2023 and 2024. The bank’s economists believe that the likelihood of the United States entering a recession outweighs the possibility of avoiding one. The most likely outcome, according to JPMorgan, is “boil the frog” recession, with the U.S. slipping into recession at the same time as the rest of the global economy. The economists assigned a 36% probability to this scenario, highlighting that it is primarily driven by the implementation of aggressive monetary tightening in response to persistent inflation. “Centra...

American television presenter and author, John Stossel, released a video on June 20, 2023, where he delved into the findings of a recent study on global economic freedom. Conducted by the Heritage Foundation and unveiled in late February, the research unveils a stark reality: the United States has experienced a substantial decline in economic freedom. From being ranked as the 20th freest nation in 2022, the United States has now slipped to the 25th position in 2023. John Stossel’s Video and Heritage Foundation Study Expose Decline in U.S. Economic Freedom John Stossel, the television show host and author known for his libertarian leanings, recently released a video discussing global economic freedom and the United States’ position among other nations. “Is America really the land of the free?” Stossel asked in a tweet. “Not anymore, according to a new ranking. The U.S. fell to 25th freest country on Earth,” the broadcaster explained. In the video, Stossel refers to the 2023 Index o...

Bitcoin fell below $31,000 to start the week, as traders seemingly moved to secure gains, as the cryptocurrency became overbought. The relative strength index (RSI) rose to its highest point since January, prompting bears to reenter the market. Ethereum also declined, falling below $1,900. Bitcoin Bitcoin ( BTC ) moved marginally lower to start the week, as price fell below the $31,000 mark on Monday. BTC /USD dropped to an intraday low of $30,042.38 earlier in the day, which comes after price peaked above $31,000 on Sunday. Today’s slippage sees bitcoin decline for a third straight day, and comes as the relative strength index (RSI) moved into overbought territory. Bitcoin chart by TradingView Over the weekend, the index hit a peak of 72.92, which was not only near a ceiling of 73.00, but also its highest point since late January. This reading prompted bears to once again enter the market, pushing the RSI down to a current reading of 68.81. The next visible floor appears t...

Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle, the company behind the issuance of usd coin (USDC), has expressed his worries about the state of stablecoin regulation in the U.S. In a congressional hearing, Allaire stated that other governments were already regulating the issuance of digital dollars (dollar-backed stablecoins) and called on the U.S. government to act by issuing stablecoin rules. Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire Calls for Stablecoin Regulation: ‘It’s Time to Act.’ Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle, a U.S.-based stablecoin company, has called for stablecoin regulation to preserve the country’s sovereignty over the issuance of digital dollars. In a congressional hearing, Allaire explained that other countries have already drafted and established frameworks for issuing dollar-backed stablecoins, leaving the U.S. behind. Allaire explained : We are seeing governments around the world — the EU, the U.K., Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and others — actually defining the rules for how dollars, digital...

PRESS RELEASE. 10SecLabs, a leading force in the blockchain incubation landscape, has taken a significant investment leap into the innovative Metagalaxy Land project. This development comes ahead of Metagalaxy Land’s much-anticipated Metaverse Platform Launch. Set to be a trailblazer in the GameFi and metaverse arenas, Metagalaxy Land states that this investment has catalyzed considerable progress in their project, enabling it to leap forward towards future releases. Metagalaxy Land’s pre-alpha version, due to launch in early July, promises an exhilarating experience for its users. Assuming the roles of Space Pirates, they’ll explore the ‘Decentralized Planet.’ The adventure involves hunting for Metagalaxy Land points, which are strategically scattered across the map daily. Accumulating these points allows users to scale the leaderboard and reap enticing rewards. Furthermore, while navigating the NFT Exhibition on the Decentralized Planet, users have the ease of accessing the trade ...