Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

India’s oil and gas minister says de-dollarization is a long way away. The official emphasized his desire to conduct all transactions in rupees, expressing his wish for the Indian currency to become “the lead currency in the world.” Indian Official on De-Dollarization India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri stated in an interview with CNBC on the sidelines of the B20 Summit in New Delhi on Friday that de-dollarization is a long way off. Puri explained that he expects the U.S. dollar to maintain its dominance in global trade. Commenting on factors that could dethrone the USD as the world’s reserve currency, he opined: I don’t know what kind of change [the dollar needs to] be affected but I don’t see it … It’s not so easy. The minister further shared that he does not see the Indian rupee challenging the U.S. dollar as a major global currency, even though it is being used in some oil transactions alongside the Chinese yuan and the Russian ruble. Nonetheles

The U.S. dollar’s dominance in global payments has strengthened, according to data compiled by global financial messaging service SWIFT. The share of SWIFT FX transactions involving the U.S. dollar rose to a record 46% in July. In addition, the share of the transactions involving the Chinese yuan has increased. SWIFT Data Indicates US Dollar Dominance The dominance of the U.S. dollar in international payments has reached a record high, according to the latest transaction data from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), the leading global financial messaging service. SWIFT’s messaging platform, products, and services connect more than 11,000 banking and securities organizations, market infrastructures, and corporate customers in more than 200 countries and territories. The data shows that the share of SWIFT FX transactions involving the U.S. dollar rose to a record 46% in July, compared to slightly more than one-third a decade ago, Bloomberg report

Economist Peter Schiff has warned about an impending “full-blown financial crisis” that he expects to hit the U.S. economy before the Federal Reserve reaches its inflation target. He further predicted that the financial crisis will force the Fed to raise its inflation target. Peter Schiff’s Latest Warnings Gold bug and economist Peter Schiff warned of an impending U.S. financial crisis in a series of posts on the X social media platform this week. Commenting on Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s speech at the central bank’s Jackson Hole symposium regarding inflation on Friday, Schiff wrote: “During his Jackson Hole speech, Powell admitted that the Fed still has a long way to go to achieve its 2% inflation target.” The gold bug exclaimed: That’s a gross understatement, as a full-blown financial crisis will ensue long before the target is hit, forcing the Fed to raise the target above 2%. In a follow-up post, the economist wrote: How can Powell give a speech about inflatio

Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki has outlined the reasons why investors should consider purchasing silver. He emphasized that despite the affordability of silver coins, most people still prefer to “save counterfeit fake dollars.” Robert Kiyosaki Highlights Reasons to Buy Silver The author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, has returned to outline the reasons why he believes investors should buy silver. 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. Reiterating that silver is the “best investment bargain,” he wrote on the X social media platform on Thursday: Silver still 50% below all-time high, in demand by greenies solar EVs. Silver 2nd most used commodity after oil. Silver has been money for centuries. Who can’t afford 1 silver coin, yet most people prefer to s

One of the founders of the Tornado Cash crypto mixer, Roman Storm, has been released on bail, his lawyer announced on social media. Storm, who was arrested in the United States, has been charged with money laundering and sanctions violations through the unlicensed platform. Storm Out on Bail After Indictment for His Role in Running Tornado Cash Roman Storm, a co-founder of the cryptocurrency mixing service Tornado Cash , has been released on bail, his lawyer Brian Klein revealed Thursday in a post on X, formerly Twitter. The news came a day after Storm and another co-founder, Roman Semenov, were indicted on charges of conspiracy to launder money and violate sanctions laws while operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business. Pleased to share that my client Roman Storm is already out on bail, although I remain very disappointed that the prosecutors charged him because he helped develop software – their novel legal theory has dangerous implications for all software developers.

Crypto exchange Binance has replaced the names of cards issued by Russian banks with colors, Russian media revealed amid reports of a U.S. investigation into potential sanctions violations. The changes concern the ruble exchange feature on Binance’s peer-to-peer platform. Russian Traders on Binance Offered ‘Green’ and ‘Yellow’ Cards as Payment Options Binance, the world’s largest digital asset exchange by trading volume, has changed the names of the cards of two Russian banks, Sberbank and Tinkoff, on its platform, Russian crypto news outlets Bits.media and RBC Crypto reported. The change has been made on Binance’s peer-to-peer ( P2P ) platform where Russian users can now choose between a “green local card,” (for Sberbank, according to the websites) and a “yellow local card” (for Tinkoff) in the payment options menu. The renaming follows the publishing of a report by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Tuesday, quoting sources, according to which Binance is under investigation by th

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has declared that the actions of the BRICS bloc, integrated by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, are focused on reducing dependency on the economic system managed by the U.S. and its Western allies. He denied a possible unified currency for all BRICS countries at this juncture. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov: ‘No One Is Talking About a Single Currency Now’ Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated one of the objectives of the BRICS bloc was to achieve independence from the Western-controlled economic and payment system in its internal trade settlements and transactions. At the BRICS summit recently held in Johannesburg, Lavrov explained that this would be one way of escaping the hegemony of the U.S. as the issuer of the dollar. Quoted by the state-owned Russian news outlet TASS, Lavrov stated : All attention is now focused on finding ways to ensure our mutual trade, mutual economic projects and investments in such a way so

The government of Brazil has formally presented a proposal to Argentina to settle bilateral trade transactions in the Chinese yuan. The proposal, which would leverage resources in the Chinese credit swap line, aims to maintain trade between the countries and secure the payment of Brazilian exporters even with Argentina’s low foreign reserves. Brazil Proposes De-Dollarization of Trade With Argentina The government of Brazil has made an official proposal to abandon the use of the U.S. dollar in bilateral trade settlements with Argentina, one of its main commercial partners. Fernando Haddad, Economy Minister of Brazil, presented the proposal to the Argentine government on the sidelines of the BRICS leaders summit recently held in Johannesburg. Quoted by the Argentine state-owned news outlet Telam, Haddad stated : We sent the Argentine government a guarantee proposal in yuan for Brazilian exports, for Brazilian exporters it is a good thing, it will be good news if Argentina accepts.

South Africa’s minister of finance has explained why he believes that no country is ready for a common currency, including a unified BRICS currency. “Setting up a common currency presupposes setting up a central bank, and that presupposes losing independence on monetary policies, and I don’t think any country is ready for that,” he emphasized. ‘I Don’t Think Any Country Is Ready for That’ South Africa’s Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana talked about the prospect of creating a common currency in an interview on the sidelines of the BRICS economic bloc’s annual summit in Johannesburg on Thursday. South Africa was the host of this year’s BRICS summit. Despite widespread expectations of the BRICS countries announcing the creation of a common currency, potentially backed by gold , he stressed that “No one has tabled the issue of a BRICS currency, not even in informal meetings.” The official continued: Setting up a common currency presupposes setting up a central bank, and that pre

Mastercard and crypto exchange Binance are ending their partnership for crypto cards. According to the payment giant, the decision will affect all four of Mastercard’s co-branded crypto card programs with Binance in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Bahrain. Partnership Between Mastercard and Binance Ending Mastercard and cryptocurrency exchange Binance are ending their partnership for crypto cards, Bloomberg reported Thursday, citing an emailed statement by a Mastercard spokesperson. The decision will affect all four of Mastercard’s co-branded crypto card programs with Binance in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Bahrain, starting Sept. 22, the news outlet conveyed, adding that the spokesperson declined to provide a reason for the partnership termination. Binance’s customer support team similarly explained on social media platform X: The Binance Card will no longer be available to users in Latin America and the Middle East. “The product, like most debit cards, has been utilize

A study of CME Group’s bitcoin futures and open interest indicates the crypto bear market may be approaching its end, according to JPMorgan analysts led by Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou. The bank’s market experts suggest that there’s “limited downside for crypto markets over the near term.” Reversal on the Horizon? JPMorgan Sees Limited Downside for Crypto Going Forward Over the past fortnight, bitcoin (BTC) and the broader crypto economy have experienced a decline, with the entire market valued just above one trillion at roughly $1.05 trillion as of Friday, August 25, 2023. Regardless of the recent crypto slump and the recorded $1 billion in liquidations on August 17, JPMorgan analysts, directed by senior analyst Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou, posit that this decline might have reached its end. The JPMorgan experts assert that extensive positions in CME’s bitcoin derivatives markets convey a narrative indicating that the recent unwinding has ceased. “As a result, we see limited downside fo

The Ministry of Economic Development of Russia does not expect the rapid development of a common currency for the BRICS bloc. Deputy Economic Development Minister Vladimir Ilyichev stated that “quick breakthroughs” on this issue are unlikely to happen during the ongoing BRICS summit, citing the process the European Union underwent to create the euro. Ministry of Economic Development of Russia Expects No ‘Quick Breakthroughs’ on a Common BRICS Currency The Ministry of Economic Development of Russia does not expect rapid decisions or announcements on issuing a common currency of the BRICS bloc, integrated by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. In an interview with CGTN, a Chinese news outlet, Deputy Economic Development Minister Vladimir Ilyichev indicated he was pessimistic about developing such a currency in the short term, even with the size and importance of the BRICS organization. He stated : The BRICS group’s economy accounts for about 25% of global GDP. In our vi

BRICS nations should address the risks related to artificial intelligence (AI), Chinese President Xi Jinping said during the group’s summit in South Africa. China’s leader is also convinced that the members of the economic bloc must work to standardize the technology. BRICS Should Strive for AI Standardization, Chinese President Suggests BRICS members should resist the risks stemming from the implementation of AI technology and work together on its standardization, China’s head of state, Xi Jinping, said at a plenary session of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg. He was quoted by the Russian Tass news agency as stating: It is necessary to jointly work on lowering the risks related to employment of AI technology and develop the standards of its employment for making AI more secure, reliable and manageable. Xi also highlighted the key role of a BRICS working group in the cooperation and exchange of information on various issues connected with the adoption of technologies based on ar

The Solana-based digital asset exchange announced on Aug. 23 that it is planning the “most fair” token launch in the history of Solana. According to Cypher, part of the funds raised via the initial decentralized offering will be used “to sustain protocol development, pay for audits to relaunch the protocol, and initiate a treasury for the protocol.” August Hack Prompts IDO Cypher, the Solana-based decentralized exchange, said on Aug. 23 that it would kickstart what it called the most fair token launch in the history of Solana. In a statement issued by the Cypher team via the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the launch is part of steps being taken to make whole all users who suffered when the exchange was hacked on Aug. 7. According to a blog post titled Loss of Funds Resolution, the token sale followed “a pro-rata redemption package of current assets in the Cypher protocol.” Such assets would be redeemed via wallets “that [are] associated to margin accounts on cypher.”

The BRICS leaders stress “the importance of encouraging the use of local currencies in international trade and financial transactions” in their declaration released at the conclusion of their 15th annual summit. In addition, the BRICS nations have tasked their finance ministers and central bank governors to “consider the issue of local currencies, payment instruments, and platforms.” BRICS Declaration and Use of Local Currencies The BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) wrapped up their 15th annual summit on Thursday in Johannesburg. The three-day summit was held under the theme: “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism.” The BRICS leaders released their “Johannesburg II Declaration” at the conclusion of the summit. The declaration states that all leaders of the BRICS nations are committed to “strengthening the framework of mutually beneficial BRICS cooperation.” Emphasizing that t

The BRICS economic bloc has invited six countries to become new members: Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The BRICS leaders wrapped up their 15th annual summit on Thursday. “We have reached agreement on the guiding principles, standards, criteria, and procedures of the BRICS expansion process,” said South Africa’s president. BRICS to Become 11-Nation Bloc On Thursday, the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) wrapped up their 15th annual summit in Johannesburg and released their “Johannesburg II Declaration.” Russia will assume the 2024 BRICS Chairship and host the XVI BRICS Summit in the city of Kazan. The economic bloc has decided to invite six countries to become new members: Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). South Africa, the chair of the BRICS summit this year, previously stated that 23 countries have formally applied for membership. The BRICS declaration st

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said on Aug. 23 that it had charged a former New Jersey correctional officer “with fraudulently raising funds through the unregistered offering of the blazar token.” The Commission said the correctional officer’s scam was primarily targeted at law enforcement agents and first responders. Replacing the State Pension System With Blazar Token The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced on Aug. 23 that it has charged John DeSalvo, a former New Jersey correctional officer, “with fraudulently raising funds through the unregistered offering of the blazar token.” The SEC alleged that by selling the now-defunct token, DeSalvo was able to raise $620,000 from approximately 220 investors. As explained in a statement released by the SEC, the former correctional officer primarily targeted law enforcement agents and first responders. In addition to falsely claiming that the token was registered with the SEC, DeSalvo told investors that

The BRICS members are mulling over the possible launch of a common unit of account, Russia’s Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov unveiled. This would be an alternative to the U.S. dollar that can be used to denote the cost of some commodities, for example, but not a single currency like the euro, the Russian official explained. BRICS States Focused on Trade in National Currencies, See Potential in Unified Settlement Systems The BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) are discussing the possibility of creating a common unit of account that would serve as an alternative to the U.S. dollar, Minister Siluanov told the Chinese state-run CGTN TV channel during the BRICS summit. Leaders of the BRICS member states are meeting in Johannesburg on Aug. 22-24, with Russian President Vladimir Putin joining via video link , to discuss the future moves of the group. The prospect of issuing a single currency for the bloc, which unites leading emerging economies, is one of

Lawyers for Sam Bankman-Fried claim the FTX founder, who has fallen from grace, based his business decisions on legal advice from company attorneys before the cryptocurrency exchange’s downfall. FTX Founder Bankman-Fried Claims Actions Were Based on Legal Advice, Denies Fraudulent Intent In a court document filed Wednesday, attorneys for Bankman-Fried from Cohen & Gresser LLP maintain he received assurance from both in-house and external lawyers that his actions complied with the law. They contend this indicates Bankman-Fried operated in good faith, without intentions of misleading FTX clients and investors. Bankman-Fried’s lawyers state: The defense intends to elicit evidence that Mr. Bankman-Fried was aware that Fenwick lawyers as well as in-house counsel for FTX, including Dan Friedberg, Can Sun, Ryne Miller, and others, were involved in reviewing and approving decisions related to these matters and others, which gave him assurance that he was acting in good faith. The

On Monday, S&P Global Ratings slashed ratings for five U.S. regional banks, pointing to the strenuous operating atmosphere plaguing the sector since the year’s outset. The impacted banks include Associated Banc Corp., Comerica Inc., KeyCorp, UMB Financial Corp., and Valley National Bancorp. Simultaneously, the outlook for two others has been dimmed to negative. Turbulent Waters: Regional Banks Face Downgrades, Challenges Mount in 2023 The five downgrades underscore the hurdles regional banks navigated in 2023, especially after Silicon Valley Bank’s (SVB) dramatic collapse in March. This significant failure hastened deposit withdrawals, with patrons migrating to bigger institutions, inducing notable funding strains for many regional entities. S&P’s statement elaborated, “Interest rates have surged, and since March 2022, quantitative tightening measures aimed at curbing intense inflation are burdening numerous U.S. banks in terms of funding, liquidity, and spread income. S

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has stated that the BRICS economic bloc does not want to be “a counterpoint to the G7, G20, or the United States,” emphasizing that the BRICS nations “just want to organize ourselves.” The Brazilian leader also pushed for “the creation of a currency for trade and investment transactions between BRICS members.” Lula: BRICS Not Seeking to Challenge US, G7, G20 Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva shared his perspectives on various matters concerning the BRICS economic bloc on Tuesday in Johannesburg. The Brazilian leader arrived in South Africa on Monday to attend the annual BRICS summit that is taking place on Aug. 22-24. All leaders from the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) are attending the summit, but Russian President Vladimir Putin is not attending in person. Commenting on the BRICS economic bloc rivaling the Group of Seven (G7), G20, and the U.S., as some have suggested , Lula stressed: We d

Chinese President Xi Jinping stated at the BRICS summit that “What people in various countries long for is definitely not a new Cold War or a small exclusive bloc.” He stressed that the BRICS group will expand and promote global multipolarity. “Hegemonism is not in China’s DNA; nor does China have any motivation to engage in major-power competition,” Xi claimed. Xi Jinping’s BRICS Summit Speech Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in South Africa on Monday to attend the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg. All leaders of the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) are attending, with Russian President Vladimir Putin participating via videoconference. In addition, more than 40 other heads of state are also attending, according to South Africa, the host of the BRICS summit this year. On Tuesday, the Chinese leader was scheduled to deliver a speech at the BRICS Business Forum, a key event at the summit, alongside other BRICS leaders. However, Xi unexpectedly skip

Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the BRICS summit that “A balanced, irreversible process of de-dollarization of our economic ties is gaining steam.” The Russian leader stressed: “We oppose hegemonies of any kind and the exceptional status that some countries aspire to, as well as the new policy it entails, a policy of continued neo-colonialism.” Putin Participating at BRICS Summit The leaders of over 40 countries are currently attending the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg. All leaders of the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) are attending in person, except Russian President Vladimir Putin who took part via videoconference. South Africa is the host of the BRICS summit this year. Addressing other BRICS leaders, the Russian president said in his remarks at the summit on Tuesday: “From year to year, the BRICS countries are increasing their potential … the five partner states, with a total population exceeding 3 billion, account for a greater shar

On August 22, 2023, the FBI issued an alert, cautioning about North Korean hackers possibly trying to cash out bitcoin valued at over $40 million. U.S. Intelligence Flags Potential $40M Bitcoin Liquidation by North Korean Hackers The FBI is urging both public and private sectors to be vigilant regarding 1,580 bitcoins ( BTC ) acquired by North Korean hacking groups, namely Lazarus Group and APT38. As of August 23, 2023, this cache’s value sits slightly above $41 million, based on current BTC exchange rates. To aid in this surveillance, the FBI disclosed six specific bitcoin (BTC) addresses linked to these funds: 3LU8wRu4ZnXP4UM8Yo6kkTiGHM9BubgyiG 39idqitN9tYNmq3wYanwg3MitFB5TZCjWu 3AAUBbKJorvNhEUFhKnep9YTwmZECxE4Nk 3PjNaSeP8GzLjGeu51JR19Q2Lu8W2Te9oc 3NbdrezMzAVVfXv5MTQJn4hWqKhYCTCJoB 34VXKa5upLWVYMXmgid6bFM4BaQXHxSUoL Detailing their concerns, the FBI pointed out that the hacking factions from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) were behind multiple crypto s