Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

Bitcoin miners saw a slight increase in mining difficulty on August 9, 2023, at block height 802,368, as the difficulty rose 0.12% from 52.32 trillion to 52.39 trillion. Over the last 2,016 blocks, miners recorded an average hashrate of about 376.5 exahash per second (EH/s). Miners Experience a Slight Increase in Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Bitcoin’s mining difficulty became a bit more challenging on August 9, at block height 802,368. At that time, the network’s mining difficulty rose 0.12% after a 2.94% decrease two weeks earlier at block height 800,352 . The network’s difficulty is now 52.39 trillion , requiring miners to perform a great amount of computational work to find a valid hash. The higher the difficulty, the more computational power and energy is needed to mine new blocks successfully. Since the first change at block height 2,016, Bitcoin’s mining difficulty has changed 397 times. Currently, on Aug. 9, 2023, the network’s hashrate is at 380.33 EH/s. The leading mining p...

Binance has become a fully licensed cryptocurrency exchange in El Salvador, having obtained two licenses: a Bitcoin Services Provider license (BSP) and a Digital Assets Services Provider license (DASP). According to the company, Binance now has approvals and registrations in 18 markets worldwide. Binance Now Fully Licensed in El Salvador Cryptocurrency exchange Binance announced Tuesday that it has obtained two crypto licenses in El Salvador. Binance stated: It has become the first fully licensed crypto exchange in El Salvador after being granted both Bitcoin Services Provider license (BSP) … and the first non-provisional Digital Assets Services Provider license (DASP). The BSP license was granted by the Salvadoran Central Reserve Bank (Banco Central de Reserva), and the DASP license was granted by the National Commission of Digital Assets (Comisión Nacional de Activos Digitales), Binance detailed. With the latest licenses in El Salvador, Binance claimed that it “has approvals ...

Swiss investment banking giant UBS expects the U.S. dollar’s reign to live on. “We firmly believe we will be living in a U.S. dollar-centric world for years to come,” the bank’s executive said, adding that there will be some room for competitors. UBS on US Dollar’s Dominance Switzerland-headquartered investment bank UBS has argued that the U.S. dollar will retain its dominance for years to come. Alejo Czerwonko, Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer Emerging Markets Americas at UBS Global Wealth Management, said on Monday that despite the recent Fitch Ratings’ downgrade : We firmly believe we will be living in a U.S. dollar-centric world for years to come. He provided three reasons to support his argument. Firstly, “global currency regimes are sticky,” the UBS chief investment officer stated. Noting that the U.S. dollar dominates financial markets and international trade, he explained: “Changes in the world’s dominant currency have historically taken a long time to mate...

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has sent a letter to District Judge Analisa Torres seeking permission to file an interlocutory appeal in the SEC v. Ripple case over XRP . In addition, the securities regulator’s motion will “seek to stay the district court proceedings.” SEC Seeks to Appeal Ruling in Ripple- XRP Case The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sent a letter to District Judge Analisa Torres on Wednesday seeking permission to file an interlocutory appeal to her judgment in the SEC v. Ripple case over XRP . An appeal is described as interlocutory when it is made before all claims are resolved to all parties. The letter states: Specifically, the SEC seeks to certify the court’s holding that Defendants’ ‘Programmatic’ offers and sales to XRP buyers over crypto asset trading platforms and Ripple’s ‘Other Distributions’ in exchange for labor and services did not involve the offer or sale of securities under SEC v. W.J. Howey Co., 328 U.S. 293 (...

The Federal Reserve has established a new supervisory program to increase oversight of crypto activities by the banks it regulates. The U.S. central bank also released additional guidelines for banks to follow before engaging in the issuance, possession, or transactions involving U.S. dollar stablecoins. Fed Steps up Crypto Oversight The Federal Reserve announced the establishment of the Novel Activities Supervision Program on Tuesday to increase oversight of novel activities by the financial institutions under its supervision. The Fed explained: The program will focus on novel activities related to crypto-assets, distributed ledger technology (DLT), and complex, technology-driven partnerships with nonbanks to deliver financial services to customers. Moreover, the central bank stressed that the program “will be risk-focused and complement existing supervisory processes.” On Tuesday, the Federal Reserve Board also released guidelines mandating banks to adhere to certain requir...

Officials in law enforcement from Lethbridge, situated in the province of Alberta, Canada, have unveiled that the Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) is now utilizing Chainalysis blockchain forensics software. According to local reports, LPS has acquired the capacity to trace cryptocurrency transactions, enabling them to ascertain the locations where the funds have been deposited. Lethbridge Police Service Embraces Blockchain Surveillance Technology Police in Lethbridge, Canada have told the press that investigators at the station utilize Chainalysis’ Reactor blockchain surveillance software. The Lethbridge Herald discussed the situation with sergeant Kevin Talbot of the Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) Economic Crimes Unit. Talbot has been trained in blockchain analysis, which is considered a significant advancement for a smaller force like the LPS, the report said. The report notes that technology allows the LPS to trace transactions, identify suspects, and determine where funds have...

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler has warned that artificial intelligence (AI) technology will be at the center of future financial crises. The securities regulator has put out a specific proposal to address some of the issues that could be embedded in AI models. SEC Chair Gensler on AI and Financial Crises The chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gary Gensler, outlined some of his biggest concerns regarding artificial intelligence (AI) in an interview with Dealbook’s Ephrat Livni on Monday. The rise of generative AI tools like Chatgpt indicates that the technology is poised to transform business and society. The SEC chairman said: This technology will be the center of future crises, future financial crises … It has to do with this powerful set of economics around scale and networks. Gensler expressed concern that certain AI models may prioritize the interests of companies over those of investors, leading to potential ...

South Africa, the host of the BRICS summit this year, has published a list of 23 countries that have applied to become members of the economic bloc. Moreover, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has invited 67 leaders and 20 representatives of major organizations to the BRICS summit. French President Emmanuel Macron, however, is not invited. 23 Countries Apply to Join BRICS South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, revealed at a briefing on the upcoming BRICS summit on Monday that 23 countries have officially applied to join the economic bloc. The BRICS summit will take place on Aug. 22-24 in Johannesburg. South Africa is hosting the BRICS summit this year. South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, China’s President Xi Jinping, Brazil’s President Luiz Lula da Silva, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to attend. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend in person . According to the South African official...

U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) has warned of severe consequences of a nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia. In one estimate, more than five billion people could die from a war between the two nations, including around 99% of those in the U.S., Europe, Russia, and China. RFK Jr on Potential US-Russia Nuclear War U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has raised concerns about the severe consequences of a nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia in a series of tweets. RFK Jr. is a son of former U.S. Attorney General and Senator Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy. The presidential hopeful wrote on Sunday: How would a nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia affect you? He also shared a video that outlines what the aftermath of a full-scale nuclear war between Russia and the U.S. could look like based on non-classified data. The video referenced a research paper published in August last year, which estimate...

A think tank analyst says the U.S. dollar’s dominance may be coming to an end as countries position themselves for a new international system. “As the reliance on U.S. dollars diminishes, central banks will begin dumping their dollar reserves. This will result in hyperinflation, a spike in interest rates to compensate for the loss of purchasing power, and falling asset prices, further accelerating U.S. decline,” he described. Analyst Says ‘Dollar Dominance May Be Coming to an End’ Lowy Institute, an independent international policy think tank, published an opinion piece titled “De-dollarization: shifting power between the US and BRICS” on Aug. 3. The article is authored by Michael Roach, a management consultant and researcher for the institute. “Will a new global reserve currency threaten the greenback’s supremacy? The short answer is yes,” Roach began. The analyst predicted: The dollar dominance may be coming to an end. He detailed that when Saudi Arabia and Russia signed a mi...

A team of Kenyan police officers is reported to have raided the premises used by Worldcoin and seized devices storing users’ data. The raid came just days after the Kenyan government announced the suspension of Worldcoin’s activities in the country. Officers Armed With Search Warrant The Kenyan police recently raided a building housing cryptocurrency and biometric ID project Worldcoin, and reportedly took away devices used for storing data. According to a local report , the law enforcement agents were not only armed with a search warrant but had the backing of so-called multi-agency officials. The raid on Worldcoin’s Kenyan offices came barely a week after the government suspended the cryptocurrency project on grounds that it posed a threat to public safety. Before that, Kenya’s data regulating agency had sounded the alarm over Worldcoin’s activities in the East African country. However, following the move by the Kenyan government, Tools for Humanity (TFH)’s Alex Blania said in...

Bitcoin rebounded on Tuesday, following the news that Paypal was launching a USD stablecoin on the ethereum blockchain. The company hopes the move will bridge the gap between fiat and cryptocurrencies for all of its stakeholders. Ethereum was marginally higher today. Bitcoin Bitcoin ( BTC ) was back in the green on Tuesday, as the cryptocurrency made marginal gains during today’s session. The move came as Paypal announced its USD stablecoin, which will be hosted on the ethereum blockchain. Following the news, CEO Dan Schulman said: “Our commitment to responsible innovation and compliance, and our track record delivering new experiences to our customers, provides the foundation necessary to contribute to the growth of digital payments through Paypal USD.” BTC /USD rose to a peak of $29,402.65 on the news, following a low of $28,724.14 the day prior. Today’s peak sees bitcoin trade at its highest point since last Wednesday, when it was last above $30,000. Tuesday’s rally has also...

Representative Patrick McHenry, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, weighed in positively on the launch of PYUSD, a dollar-pegged stablecoin issued by Paypal, a U.S.-based payments company. McHenry stated that if properly regulated, stablecoins “hold promise as a pillar of our 21st-century payments system,” calling on Congress to put clear rules on the sector by enacting stablecoin-specific regulation. Representative McHenry States Stablecoins Might Become ‘Pillar’ of Current Payment Systems U.S. Representative Patrick McHenry issued a statement on Monday, weighing in on the significance of the recent U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin launched by payments behemoth Paypal. McHenry, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, viewed this development positively, stating that Paypal’s announcement was “a clear signal that stablecoins—if issued under a clear regulatory framework—hold promise as a pillar of our 21st-century payments system.” Paypal announced the lau...

Palauan senator Mark Rudimch has called for an audit of Palau’s stablecoin pilot program, launched by the country’s ministry of finance in partnership with Ripple in July. In a letter sent to the public auditor Satrunino Tewid, Rudimch reported the Palauan senate had concerns regarding the “constitutionality, security, accountability, statutory authority, and oversight of the program.” Palau’s Ripple-Backed Stablecoin Pilot Faces Senate Opposition Palau’s Ripple-backed stablecoin program, launched and announced in July, faces opposition from the Palauan senate. According to local reports, Senator Mark Rudimch, chairman of the Senate Resources, Commerce, Trade and Development Committee, has requested Public Auditor Satrunino Tewid audit the program, voicing various concerns regarding the ongoing test. In a letter sent to Tewid, Rudimch stated : The Senate has some concerns regarding the constitutionality, security, accountability, statutory authority, and oversight of the program....

Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman says additional interest rate increases will likely be needed to get inflation on a path down to the Fed’s target. “I will also be watching for signs of slowing in consumer spending and signs that labor market conditions are loosening,” the Fed governor added. More Interest Rate Hikes Likely Needed, Says Fed Governor Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman indicated in her remarks on Saturday at an event hosted by the Kansas Bankers Association in Colorado that the U.S. central bank may need to implement additional interest rate increases to completely restore price stability. She also affirmed her endorsement of the rate hike decision made at last month’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. In July, Fed officials raised the federal funds rate to a range of 5.25% to 5.5%, the highest level in 22 years. Governor Bowman stated: Additional rate increases will likely be needed to get inflation on a path down to the FOMC’s 2% targe...

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has reaffirmed his call to shift away from the U.S. dollar in global trade. He also revealed his stance on the expansion of the BRICS economic bloc ahead of the group’s upcoming summit. “I have said publicly, why does Brazil need the dollar to trade with China?” he stressed. “We can do it in our own currency.” President of Brazil on De-Dollarization, BRICS Expansion Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reiterated his call for the abandonment of the U.S. dollar in international trade during a press briefing with international journalists last week. Lula has long been a vocal critic of the U.S. dollar’s dominance in international trade and has called on nations to abandon the dollar in favor of national currencies. He maintains that countries should opt for their respective currencies rather than relying on the USD. Regarding de-dollarization and using national currencies in trade settlements, the Brazilian president stressed: ...

U.S. senators have pressed the Biden administration for measures to counter “serious national security threats” posed by North Korea’s dependence on cryptocurrency. According to the lawmakers, North Korea is using crypto “to evade harsh sanctions and support its ambitions to project geopolitical power through nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.” US Lawmakers Concerned About ‘Serious National Security Threats’ Linked to North Korea, Crypto U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) have pressed the Biden administration for measures to counter crypto-related national security threats. In their letter , dated Aug. 3, to Brian E. Nelson, Treasury Department’s Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, and Jake Sullivan, the White House’s National Security Advisor, the lawmakers wrote: “We write to express concern about the national security threat posed by North Korea’s reliance on digital assets to circumvent international s...

Central banks ramped up gold purchases in June, according to statistics from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In this period, central banks added 55 tonnes of gold to their reserves after three months of net selling, with China purchasing the most gold (21 tonnes). Central Banks Back to Purchasing Gold in June The world’s central banks reversed their three-month gold selling spree to make purchases during June. According to international financial statistics issued by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), net gold purchases during June reached 55 tonnes, with six central banks purchasing gold during this period. One of the largest purchasers of gold was the Central Bank of Turkey, which also resumed purchases after having been a net seller during recent months due to a ban on gold imports after an earthquake in February. Nonetheless, the Central Bank of Turkey added 11 tonnes to its official reserves, which reached 440 tons by the end of June. Krishan Gopaul, senior analys...

Bitcoin started the week mostly flat, as market volatility remained near recent lows during today’s session. Traders appear to be on the sidelines ahead of Wednesday’s key inflation report from the United States. Ethereum mostly consolidated on Monday. Bitcoin Bitcoin ( BTC ) continued to hover near the $29,000 level to start the week, as market volatility was mostly muted on Monday. After Sunday’s low at $28,963.83, BTC /USD jumped to a high of $29,166.82 earlier in today’s session. The world’s largest cryptocurrency has mostly been trading between a support level of $28,800, and a resistance of $29,500 for the majority of the last week. Bitcoin chart by TradingView Looking at the chart, the relative strength index (RSI) is also tracking near a floor of its own around the 42.00 mark. In addition to this, the 10-day (red) moving average has begun to flatline following a downtrend, which is a sign of price stagnation. Consolidation could likely continue until Wednesday’s...

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued a Public Service Announcement (PSA) warning about criminals impersonating non-fungible token (NFT) developers in social media. According to the PSA, criminals can impersonate these developers on social media by hijacking accounts or using similar account names and directing interested users to fake NFT sales pages to drain their wallets. FBI Warns Users About NFT Scams The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued a Public Service Announcement (PSA) warning users about non-fungible token (NFT) scams involving criminals impersonating developers of renowned projects. To target NFT-interested users, the criminals might take different routes, hijacking the accounts of these significant NFT projects or using almost identical account names in social media. Using these tools, these criminals offer new or previously not announced collections of NFTs on social media, posting links to the pages where these fake offers are supposedl...

An author from Scotland has been targeted for her work to expose one of crypto history’s most notorious Ponzi schemes, Onecoin. Jennifer McAdam recently canceled book signings after receiving death threats for writing about the massive fraud and its ‘Cryptoqueen’ mastermind. Writer Cancels Promotional Events for Book on Onecoin on Advice From Scottish Police and FBI Author Jennifer McAdam has been forced to cancel a promotional tour for her book ‘Devil’s Coin’ exposing the crypto pyramid Onecoin which defrauded millions of investors around the world, the Scottish Sun newspaper reported. McAdam writes about Onecoin’s founder Ruja Ignatova, dubbed the “missing Cryptoqueen” as she is still wanted by Interpol, Europol , and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ), which put it on its ten most-wanted fugitives list. The writer’s decision came after police in Scotland as well as the FBI advised her against carrying out planned signings in Irvine, Ayr and Glasgow for the book de...

Welcome to Latam Insights, a compendium of Latin America’s most relevant crypto and economic news during the last week. In this issue: Honduras opens a central bank digital currency (CBDC) consultation, Venezuela applies officially to join BRICS, and Trubit launches Pix payment integration in Brazil. Honduras Opens CBDC Issuance Public Consultation The Central Bank of Honduras has opened a public consultation regarding issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC). The public consultation marks the next phase of a plan to modernize the country’s payment systems. In a report issued by the bank, titled “The Future of Money and Payments in Honduras, which route to Follow?” the institution considers the implications and changes it must apply to its legal system to adopt a CBDC. The poll asks users about the central bank’s role in the national payments system, proposing a series of options to modernize it, including launching a CBDC, designing a bank-managed payments system, and prom...

The Indian Presidency of G20 has put forward proposals for a roadmap to introducing a global regulatory framework for crypto assets. India believes a more coordinated policy will be needed to enforce international standards in the field and adequately minimize associated risks. India’s G20 Presidency Provides Its Input for FSB and IMF Global Crypto Regulatory Roadmap India, the current President of the Group of 20 forum of the world’s largest economies ( G20 ), has made some suggestions regarding the regulation of crypto assets. With the proposals, New Delhi seeks to help prioritize certain “areas of work essential to achieving a comprehensive, cohesive and coordinated global policy” for the sector. In a Presidency Note released on Aug. 1, India said that while “considerable work” has been done so far by intergovernmental organizations to prepare regulatory standards for the crypto industry, it believes that more coordination is needed to consistently implement regulations adopted...