Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

The Venezuelan cryptocurrency ecosystem remains on shaky ground four months after the intervention of national crypto watchdog Sunacrip, and the arrest of its head, Joselit Ramirez, due to alleged participation in a $20 billion corruption scandal involving the undeclared sale of crude oil for crypto. There have been no official updates from Sunacrip’s restructuring board, but Bitcoin mining activities are still halted per local sources’ reports. Venezuelan Crypto Ecosystem Still Affected After Sunacrip Intervention The situation of the Venezuelan cryptocurrency ecosystem and the current status of its official cryptocurrency asset, the petro, are yet uncertain after four months of the intervention of Sunacrip, the Venezuelan cryptocurrency watchdog. The restructuring board has made no official statements on the processes it is developing, and it is currently not known if the regulatory institution will even survive. The government of Nicolas Maduro issued an executive order to inter...

Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman says the U.S. dollar’s dominance “won’t last forever.” While recognizing the global de-dollarization trend, he expressed skepticism about the Chinese yuan’s ability to replace the U.S. dollar as the world’s dominant currency. Economist Paul Krugman on U.S. Dollar Dominance and Chinese Yuan Nobel laureate Paul Krugman discussed the U.S. dollar’s dominance and the potential for the Chinese yuan to replace the USD in an opinion piece published in The New York Times earlier this month. Krugman won the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel in 2008 for his analysis of trade patterns and location of economic activity. Krugman acknowledged the growing de-dollarization trend worldwide and the potential decline of the U.S. dollar’s role in international trade, as more countries seek to de-dollarize. However, citing a Federal Reserve report that analyzed various indicators of dollar dominance, he stressed that the U.S...

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler has stated that the regulator is “disappointed” with the SEC v. Ripple ruling on XRP regarding retail investors. “We are still looking at it and assessing that opinion,” he affirmed. Gensler also reiterated the SEC’s commitment to enforcing regulations on the crypto industry and ensuring compliance among crypto firms. Gensler Says SEC Is ‘Assessing’ the Ripple Ruling on XRP The chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gary Gensler, commented on the ruling in the SEC v. Ripple case during his remarks at the National Press Club luncheon Monday. The court ruled last Thursday, as described by Ripple’s chief legal officer, that “ XRP is not a security … sales on exchanges are not securities. Sales by executives are not securities. Other XRP distributions — to developers, to charities, to employees are not securities.” The Ripple legal counsel noted: “The only thing the court found constitutes an inv...

As of July 17, 2023, the decentralized finance (defi) sector has been witnessing a great deal of consolidation with total value locked (TVL) figures standing at $44.19 billion. Throughout most of the year in 2023, except for a brief period of seven days in April, the TVL in defi has consistently remained below the $50 billion range. Value Locked in Defi in 2023 Remains Above $40B but Stagnates Below $50B Throughout the first half of 2023, the decentralized finance (defi) landscape has exhibited a lackluster performance, with the value locked in the sector remaining relatively stagnant. Specifically, on Monday, July 17, 2023, the total value locked (TVL) stands at $44.19 billion, according to defillama.com metrics . Within this sum, Lido Finance commands a significant portion, securing $14.78 billion, which accounts for 33.45% of the aggregate TVL. Following Lido, prominent players in the defi realm include Aave ($5.88B), Makerdao ($5.47B), Uniswap ($3.78B), and Justlend ($3.69B)...

On Monday, the Financial Stability Board (FSB), a product of the G20 organization, unveiled its proposed guidelines for a global regulatory structure overseeing the operations of crypto assets. The international entity emphasizes that nations should confront the risks cryptocurrencies pose to global financial stability. The FSB contends that occurrences within the preceding year have underscored the “structural vulnerabilities of crypto assets and related players.” G20’s Financial Stability Board Provides 9 Crypto Industry-Centric Recommendations for Countries and Standard-Setting Bodies As stated in a newly published report , the G20’s Financial Stability Board (FSB) wants to rein in the crypto industry with tighter regulations and standardized frameworks. The FSB’s strategy for governing crypto asset operations hinges on encouraging collaboration between jurisdictional financial authorities and standard-setting bodies (SSBs). This cooperation aims to guarantee that such activities...

Southern District of New York judge Katherine P. Failla called to attention the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) approval of Coinbase’s Initial Public Offering (IPO), hinting that the agency could have been more thorough. Failla expressed skepticism about the SEC’s posture that approving the Coinbase S-1 form to go public meant “nothing,” stating that the commission could have called out Coinbase’s behavior. SEC v. Coinbase: Judge Failla Was Skeptical Towards Regulator’s Posture on Coinbase IPO Approval Katherine P. Failla, judge for the Southern District of New York, has called attention to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) behavior when approving the Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Coinbase to go through back in 2021. Failla hinted that the commission might have done more to signal the problems in the exchange’s business model before greenlighting its listing on Nasdaq. During the pre-motion conference of the case, which took place on July 13, Fa...

PRESS RELEASE. July 17th, 2023, Hong Kong. Startup Open Asset Standards has recently announced QED , the world’s first ZK 2.0 blockchain protocol. Unlike existing zero knowledge blockchain protocols, QED has a novel state model which is horizontally scalable, meaning it is no longer limited by TPS restrictions that have previously prevented adoption of blockchain technologies in Web2 use cases such as social networks, traditional finance, and gaming. Enabled by advances in fast recursive zero knowledge proofs, QED is able to achieve this scale without compromising security or decentralization and proves all transactions end-to-end using proof recursion (verifying a zero knowledge proof in a zero knowledge proof ). This process of decentralized recursive proving culminates in a single block proof which can be verified by an Ethereum smart contract, making the protocol only reliant on the Proof of Math itself, rather than an incentive based consensus system vulnerable to collusion...

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has accepted the application for a bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) filed by asset manager Blackrock. The move indicates the regulator is preparing to seriously consider a bitcoin ETF and could eventually set the stage for wider adoption of crypto assets and products. SEC Adds Blackrock’s Bitcoin ETF Application to Docket, Seeks Public Comments The U.S. securities regulator has officially accepted Blackrock’s application for a spot bitcoin ETF . Once it’s published in the Federal Register, the SEC will open a 21-day window for submission of public comments on the proposal and they will be posted on its website. The application’s addition to the SEC’s docket on Thursday marks the beginning of a long review process that will be closely followed by the crypto community and industry. Blackrock is the world’s largest asset management firm and the SEC process for its bitcoin ETF sends a signal about the future of crypto-based investmen...

Worldcoin, a startup that aims to build the “world’s largest identity and financial network as a public utility,” has reached two million sign-ups. The company, which uses its biometric World ID system to differentiate human beings, stated it has more than doubled the number of sign-ups since January when it reported having passed its first million. Worldcoin Passes 2 Million Sign-Ups The Worldcoin project, a startup building an identity database of users as a public utility, has reached two million sign-ups using its World ID protocol. The company — which is backed by Openai co-founder Sam Altman — reported that these sign-ups came via people registering from cities such as Barcelona, Berlin, Buenos Aires, New York, Seoul, and Tokyo, as part of the “ world tour ” announced in May. Overall, Worldcoin is registering more than 40,000 sign-ups each week. The World ID protocol requires using special hardware devices for users to register to prove their “uniqueness and humanness in a ...

Larry Fink, the CEO of the world’s largest asset manager, Blackrock, says crypto is so international that it will transcend any one currency. Regarding Blackrock’s bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the executive stressed: “We are working with our regulators because, as in any new market, if Blackrock’s name is going to be on it, we’re going to make sure that it’s safe and sound and protected.” Blackrock CEO Larry Fink Highlights Crypto’s ‘Differentiating Value’ Larry Fink, the CEO and chairman of Blackrock, the world’s largest asset manager, discussed cryptocurrency in an interview with CNBC on Friday. Blackrock filed to launch a bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on June 15. While the SEC has rejected all bitcoin ETF applications so far, many are hopeful that the securities regulator will approve Blackrock’s filing. “Over the last five years, more and more global...

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s former head of internet enforcement has warned that the ruling on the SEC v. Ripple case “resides on shaky ground” and will likely be reversed. “The Ripple decision grants to the institutional investor full SEC protection … However, the retail investor is not granted any SEC protection at all. This seems backwards to say the least,” he stressed. SEC v Ripple Ruling ‘Troubling on Multiple Fronts’ Former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) official John Reed Stark shared his analysis of the SEC v. Ripple ruling concerning XRP on Linkedin Friday. Stark is currently president of cybersecurity firm John Reed Stark Consulting. He founded and served as chief of the SEC Office of Internet Enforcement for 11 years. He was also an SEC enforcement attorney for 15 years. “The Ripple decision is troubling on multiple fronts,” he stressed, adding: IMHO, the decision resides on shaky ground, is likely (and ripe) for appeal, will likely ...

Central bank digital currency (CBDC) is a “massive threat” to liberty, Republican Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis is convinced. During an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, DeSantis vowed to send CBDC “to the ash heap of history” if he is elected President of the United States. DeSantis Tells Carlson CBDC is ‘Not Happening’ in America With Him as President Presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis reaffirmed his stance against the introduction of a central bank-issued digital currency such as a digital version of the U.S. dollar. Speaking with conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson on Friday, the candidate for the White House stated: If I am the president, on Day 1, we will nix central bank digital currency. Done, dead, not happening in this country. DeSantis pointed out that the U.S. Federal Reserve has been talking about CBDC and warned that the Fed may try to take unilateral steps in that direction. He doubted that the U.S. Congress would pass a bill all...

According to Nikolay Denisenko, the co-founder and CTO of the financial and earning application Brighty App, the digital version of the pound sterling can be a bridge that enables “easy conversions between different types of crypto, stablecoins, and digital currencies.” Furthermore, the digital pound — also known as britcoin — can potentially “make payments faster, more secure, and less expensive.” The Digital Pound’s Benefits Versus Its Vulnerabilities Nikolay Denisenko, a Revolut alumnus, nevertheless warned that britcoin just like any other central bank digital currency (CBDC) may be susceptible to cyberattacks. He also highlighted the public’s concerns over the digital pound project’s rumoured cost of $1.31 billion versus the benefits which the CBDC is expected to bring. Meanwhile, when asked about the probability of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approving asset management giant Blackrock’s Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETF), Denisenko highlighted Blackrock...

Europe’s first bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) is set to launch in July after a 12-month delay caused by the crypto winter. The fund has been authorized in Guernsey, a more flexible jurisdiction, which will ostensibly help to avoid some of the regulatory challenges associated with the European Union. Europe to Have Its First Bitcoin ETF Listed After Year-Long Delay The first bitcoin exchange-traded fund in Europe is expected to be publicly listed by the end of this month, a full year after its initially planned launch, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. The ETF was first announced by Jacobi Asset Management in July 2022. The asset manager wanted to list it on the Euronext exchange last year but decided that “the time wasn’t right” after a string of negative events in the crypto space like the crash of the terra-luna project and the bankruptcy of cryptocurrency exchange FTX . The issuer now says “demand has shifted since last summer” and the ETF is “on track.” All exchang...

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has not seen any specific proposal on a common BRICS currency. However, the IMF acknowledges the presence of “slow-moving trends” indicating shifts in the currency composition of reserves and trade. The Fund’s statement followed reports that the BRICS economic bloc is planning to launch a gold-backed currency. IMF on BRICS Currency The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was asked during a press conference on Thursday about its position on the proposed BRICS currency following media reports that the BRICS nations are launching a gold-backed currency that will be formally announced at the economic bloc’s upcoming leaders’ summit in August. The BRICS nations comprise Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Julie Kozack, director of IMF’s Communications Department, replied: “With respect to the way countries, or the currencies in which countries conduct trade, we view that as a decision of the participants involved in the individual transa...

U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) has explained that President Joe Biden is “preparing for a ground war with Russia” by signing an ex ecutive order to mobilize reserve forces to augment Operation Atlantic Resolve. Multiple people have accused Biden of starting World War III. Biden Preparing for Ground War With Russia, Says Kennedy Jr. U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) has slammed President Joe Biden over his executive order to mobilize select reserve forces in order to augment Operation Atlantic Resolve. 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. Operation Atlantic Resolve was launched in 2014 following Russia’s invasion of the Crimean Peninsula. Kennedy tweeted Friday: President Biden just called up 3,000 reservists to augment U.S. troops in Europe as part of ‘Operation Atlantic Resolve.’ I want people to understand what this troop mobiliza...

Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki has warned that a giant crash is coming, emphasizing that the end of fiat money, including the U.S. dollar, is near. Noting that the USD “will die,” he urged investors to buy gold, silver, and bitcoin. His warnings came as the BRICS economic bloc is discussing creating a common currency that could be backed by gold. Robert Kiyosaki’s Giant Crash Warnings The author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, has issued more warnings about the U.S. economy and the U.S. dollar. Rich Dad Poor Dad is a 1997 book co-authored by Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. It has been on the New York Times Best Seller List for over six years. More than 32 million copies of the book have been sold in over 51 languages across more than 109 countries. Kiyosaki tweeted Wednesday: Giant crash coming. Fake money, aka fiat currency, to die. BRICS meeting in S. Africa [on] August 22 to put nail in coffin of fiat…fake money. Get into real gold, silver & bitcoin asap. Tak...

A Zimbabwean economist has said authorities should consider paying a portion of government employees’ salaries with gold coins. The economist said partially paying government workers with gold coins can “help curtail the black market dominance” in the country’s currency market. Dollar Shortages and Rising Inflation A Zimbabwean economist, George Nhepera, has urged authorities in the Southern African nation to consider paying a portion of government workers’ salaries with gold coins. According to the economist, paying part of the workers’ salaries with gold coins can “help curtail the black market dominance” in the country’s currency market. Nhepera’s call for measures to cushion government workers with gold coins follows the local currency’s sharp depreciation in June. The currency’s plunge on the parallel market is reported to have sparked a wave of steep price hikes which eroded the purchasing power of salaries denominated in local currency. While workers have in some cases dema...

Former U.S. President Donald Trump gave a more detailed account of his finances including proceeds from his non-fungible token (NFT) collection. The cryptocurrency balance of an Ethereum wallet has also been declared as part of $1 billion in income received from various sources. Donald Trump Details Income From NFTs, Speaking Fees, Hotel Sale The 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump, has provided more information about his financial state, detailing income earned from speaking fees, the sale of his Washington, D.C. hotel and digital collectibles, Bloomberg reported. In a revised disclosure, filed with the Office of Government Ethics, he reveals the exact sums for more than $1 billion in income received from these and other sources that he had previously declared only in broad terms to the Federal Election Commission. In the earlier disclosure submitted in April, Trump, now running for a second, non-consecutive term in the 2024 election, was allowed to indicate broad r...

Russia is discussing using national currencies in trade settlements with 10 Southeast Asian countries, members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has revealed. The move comes as more and more countries worldwide are seeking to de-dollarize. Russia and 10 Southeast Asian Nations Explore National Currency Usage in Trade Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov revealed his country’s efforts to settle trade with 10 Southeast Asian countries in national currencies in an interview with Indonesian national newspaper Kompas. The interview was published in English on Wednesday, with the aid of Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. ASEAN members comprise Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Lavrov explained that Russia does not see the current international situation as a “new cold war.” He emphasized that the country is focused on the development of a multip...