Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

Roblox, a metaverse gaming company, has recently announced the end of its remote work policies, calling all but a few workers to work from its headquarters in San Mateo, California. Roblox founder and CEO David Baszucki stated that the metaverse and digital workspaces were still not as “engaging, collaborative, and productive as physical spaces.” Roblox Recalls Its Workers to Headquarters, Ends Remote Work Policies Roblox, a gaming and metaverse company, has recently recalled its workers, requesting they work from its headquarters. The company, which had turned into a remote workforce in March 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic, has required all but a few of its workers to be present in office on a three-day schedule (Tues.-Thurs.) or take a severance package. David Baszucki, founder and CEO of Roblox, said these new policies will begin being applied by July 2024, when all employees called for relocation will start in-office work. Roblox is giving remote employees until January 16

U.S. cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has selected Ireland as the main regulatory hub for its operations across the European Union. The company hopes to obtain a license in Ireland that will allow it to provide services in EU member states under the pan-European Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) law. Coinbase Bets on EU Growth Amid Regulatory Uncertainty and Pressure in US America’s leading crypto exchange, Coinbase, announced it has chosen Ireland as its “MiCA hub” in the European Union. The trading platform said the decision is part of the realization of the second phase of its “Go Broad, Go Deep” strategy for international expansion . Coinbase currently holds an e-money institution license and a virtual asset service provider (VASP) registration in Ireland as well as licenses and registrations in other EU countries. It has also applied for a MiCA license with the Central Bank of Ireland. When it’s granted, the latter will permit the exchange to offer its services across the Unio

Anthropic has acquired the views of a group of American citizens on the fundamental principles that should govern artificial intelligence (AI). The gathered opinions have formed the basis of a “constitution for AI” as part of an attempt to explore how democratic processes can influence the technology’s development. Anthropic Prepares Constitution for AI Using Public Input AI startup Anthropic, the creator of the Claude chatbot , has secured the help of around 1,000 Americans to draft a constitution for an AI system. The initiative is a joint effort with the Collective Intelligence Project ( CIP ), a non-profit organization that seeks to “direct technological development towards the collective good.” Claude currently relies on a constitution curated by Anthropic employees using Constitutional AI (CAI), a method developed by the company to make general-purpose large language models (LLMs) abide by high-level normative principles. Anthropic’s constitution has been inspired by document

Several reports have revealed that Binance, which is recognized as the leading crypto exchange by trading volume, intends to discontinue its Visa crypto card on December 20, 2023. The enterprise emphasized that only a “small number of Binance users” would be affected by this development. Binance to Discontinue Visa Offering by Year’s End In 2023, crypto debit cards have been falling out of favor rapidly, triggered in part by a series of bankruptcies that ignited a crypto bear market. Back in March, Bitpay in the U.S. phased out its prepaid Mastercard program, although it assured users of a renewed card service on the horizon. However, this week, holders of the Binance Visa card were informed via email that the card would cease to be functional by the close of the year. The email communicated that the Binance Visa card would become non-operational post-December 20, 2023. The Binance Visa, which was available to users in Europe, was utilized by individuals across various countries

Renowned billionaire Jeffrey Gundlach, also known as the “Bond King,” has raised concerns over the potential risk to the U.S. dollar’s reserve currency status due to rising national debt. “The future of the U.S. dollar, and possibly out-of-control inflation, depends on getting the budget and spending under control,” Gundlach warned. Jeffrey Gundlach on Future of U.S. Dollar Jeffrey Gundlach, the CEO and chief investment officer of investment management firm Doubleline, has warned that the U.S. dollar’s reserve currency status may be at risk if the United States does not get its spending under control. Gundlach is nicknamed “the Bond King” after he appeared on the cover of Barron’s as “The New Bond King” in 2011. His net worth is currently $2.2 billion, according to Forbes. His firm oversees around $150 billion of assets under management (AUM). Gundlach said in an opinion piece: “Should the Federal Reserve continue to raise rates, which may happen, or should the national debt grow,

On October 19, 2023, a dormant bitcoin address from 2012 sprang to life at block height 812,946, moving 200 BTC worth $5.74 million for the first time in nearly 11 years. This activity coincides with a recent surge of transfers from 2012 addresses, which began in early September. October Witnesses Several Connected 2012 ‘Sleeping Bitcoin’ Spends On Thursday, another 2012 dormant bitcoin address was activated, transferring 200 BTC valued at $5.74 million. The address “ 1DabG ” originated on November 1, 2012, when BTC was priced at $11.20 per unit , meaning the wallet’s initial value was $2,240. Btcparser.com first noticed the transaction, which garnered a low privacy rating from Blockchair’s privacy tool . The 2012 transaction received an 11 out of 100, flagging three vulnerabilities: matched addresses, co-spending, and round values. To date, seven 2012 transactions have been recorded in October. Last month saw a total of 19 transfers from 2012. The most recent 2012 transaction

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has dropped all charges against Ripple’s executives, CEO Brad Garlinghouse and co-founder Chris Larsen. “The SEC made a serious mistake going after Brad & Chris personally — and now, they’ve capitulated, dismissing all charges against our executives. This is not a settlement. This is a surrender by the SEC,” said Ripple’s chief legal officer. SEC Lawsuit Against Ripple’s Executives Dismissed The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has dropped its lawsuit against Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and co-founder Chris Larsen. In a filing with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the attorneys for the SEC, Ripple, Garlinghouse, and Larsen stated: It is now stipulated and agreed … that the claims alleged by Plaintiff Securities and Exchange Commission against Defendants Bradley Garlinghouse and Christian A. Larsen … are hereby dismissed in their entirety, with prejudice and without costs or fees to ei

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell stressed on Thursday the U.S. central bank remains committed to bringing down inflation and will maintain restrictive monetary policy until prices cool. Speaking at the Economic Club of New York, Powell hinted that further interest rate hikes may be appropriate if price pressures persist. Powell Signals for More Monetary Tightening as Fed Remains Focused on Inflation In his remarks , Jerome Powell said inflation is still too high despite recent moderation. While headline and core PCE inflation have come down from their peaks earlier this year, the Fed chair said it is too early to be confident inflation will stay near the Fed’s 2% target. “While the path is likely to be bumpy and take some time, my colleagues and I are united in our commitment to bringing inflation down sustainably to 2 percent,” Powell explained at the luncheon. He further noted tightening financial conditions are putting downward pressure on inflation. But Powell warned persi

Crypto exchange Binance US has suspended withdrawals in U.S. dollars. Users who want to withdraw their USD funds must first convert them into stablecoins or other cryptocurrencies, which can then be withdrawn. Binance US Updates Dollar Withdrawal Policy Binance US, the U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange affiliated with Binance, updated its terms of use on Tuesday. The Binance US trading platform is run by BAM Trading Services Inc., an affiliate of Binance. The U.S.-based crypto exchange explained that users can access their USD funds through BAM-issued stored value wallets denominated in U.S. dollars (BAM Fiat Wallets). Binance US emphasized: In the event you wish to withdraw U.S. dollar funds from your account, you may convert such U.S. dollar funds to stablecoin or other digital assets, which can subsequently be withdrawn. In early June, Binance US suspended U.S. dollar deposits following a court order initiated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to freeze

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) is preparing to implement the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). The regulator has issued several crypto warnings that investors and users of crypto services providers should be aware of, particularly before MiCA is fully implemented. The regulator cautioned: “Even with the implementation of MiCA, retail investors must be aware that there will be no such thing as a ‘safe’ crypto-asset.” ESMA Issues Crypto Warnings as It Prepares to Implement MiCA The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) published a statement on Tuesday clarifying the timeline for the implementation of the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). ESMA also highlighted several risks associated with crypto assets, noting that MiCA won’t be fully implemented until December 2024. “The entry into force of MiCA is a fundamental development for the establishment of a single rulebook for the regulation and supervision of crypto-asset issuance, trad

The European Central Bank (ECB) has decided to move its digital euro project to the next phase after two years of investigation. The “preparation phase” of the digital euro will involve “finalizing the digital euro rulebook and selecting providers that could develop a digital euro platform and infrastructure.” Digital Euro Proceeds to ‘Preparation Phase’ The Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) decided Wednesday “to move to the next phase of the digital euro project: the preparation phase,” the ECB announced. This decision followed the completion of the ECB’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) investigation phase which the Eurosystem launched in October 2021 “to explore possible design and distribution models for a digital euro,” the European Central Bank detailed. The ECB also published a report Wednesday detailing its findings from the investigation phase of the digital euro. The ECB detailed: The next phase of the digital euro project — the preparation phas

Vitalik Buterin has dismissed reports that he recently sold his crypto holdings and claimed to have not “sold ether for personal gain since 2018.” Buterin suggested to his followers that the reports often mistake his transfer of digital assets to charitable organizations as sales of his digital assets. Transfers to Charitable Organizations Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of the Ethereum blockchain, has dismissed suggestions that he recently liquidated part of his digital asset holdings. In a post on the decentralized social network Warpcast, Buterin told his followers to ignore reports which mistakenly conclude that his donations to charitable organizations are sales of crypto assets. The remarks by Buterin came just days after media reports claimed that Kanro, a charity affiliated with the Ethereum co-founder, had moved 15.43 million USDC coins to a multi-signature wallet. In fact, as indicated by data , Kanro made two transfers, one to Coinbase (500,000 USDC coins) and one to Ge

Swiss online bank Dukascopy has introduced a new lending product that enables customers to borrow against their cryptocurrency. The solution allows users to receive 50% of the value of their digital assets in fiat currency while retaining their original crypto investments. Switzerland-Regulated Dukascopy Bank Launches Automated Crypto Lending Feature Geneva-headquartered Dukascopy Bank is now offering clients an option to borrow cash in U.S. dollars while keeping their investments in cryptocurrency. Under the bank’s new lending program, they can receive a loan for 50% of the value of their crypto assets in fiat equivalent. To take advantage of the feature, customers need to open a multi-currency bank account (MCA) and transfer the crypto they want to use. Then they can find the digital assets in the “Investments” section and select the “Crypto lending/borrowing” option. The bank said in a press release: In your MCA account, you will find 50% of your investment market value in fi

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has published its examination priorities for 2024 which include crypto monitoring and examinations. The securities regulator disclosed: “Examinations of registrants will focus on the offer, sale, recommendation of, advice regarding, trading in, and other activities in crypto assets or related products.” Division of Examinations’ 2024 Priorities The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced Monday that its Division of Examinations has published the “2024 examination priorities to inform investors and registrants of the key risks, examination topics, and priorities that the division plans to focus on in the upcoming year.” The securities regulator described: “This year’s examinations will prioritize areas that pose emerging risks to investors or the markets in addition to core and perennial risk areas.” The SEC detailed: Given the continued volatility of, and activity around, the crypto asset markets, the division will

Larry Fink, the CEO of the world’s largest asset manager, Blackrock, sees the recent bitcoin rally as “an example of the pent-up interest in crypto.” Noting that as the Israel-Hamas war rages on, more people will be running to bitcoin as “a flight to quality,” the executive emphasized: “We are hearing from clients around the world about the need for crypto.” ‘The Rally Today Is About a Flight to Quality’ Blackrock CEO Larry Fink offered his perspective on the bitcoin rally Monday following a rumor that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had approved his company’s spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) application. While emphasizing that he cannot discuss “the specifics of anything,” Fink said on Fox Business: I think it’s just an example of the pent-up interest in crypto. We are hearing from clients around the world about the need for crypto. The rumor was spread by crypto news outlet Cointelegraph which posted on social media platform X early Monday morning th

Binance has announced that it will no longer accept new users in the U.K. in order to comply with new crypto regulations from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Binance explained that it is currently looking for an FCA-authorized firm to review and approve its U.K. financial promotions in compliance with the new rules. Binance Halts Accepting Users in the U.K. Cryptocurrency exchange Binance announced an update for its U.K. operation on Monday. The announcement states: From Monday 16 October 2023 at 5pm UK time, Binance will stop accepting new UK users. Binance explained that the U.K. financial promotions regime for qualifying crypto assets went into effect on Oct. 8, noting that the new rules allow unregulated overseas platforms, like Binance, to promote their crypto businesses in the U.K. by engaging with FCA-authorized firms. “We engaged FCA authorized firm, Rebuildingsociety.com Ltd (REBS), to review and approve our U.K. financial promotions in compliance with the new r

Ray Dalio, the founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, has warned that the U.S. and China are at the brink of a hot war. He has outlined a scenario where “we will see the transition from contained pre-hot-war conflicts to a brutal World War III.” Ray Dalio Warns of ‘a Brutal World War III’ Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio shared his thoughts on the conflict in the Middle East and the potential for World War III in an opinion piece published on Linkedin on Oct. 12. Noting that while “Israel, Hamas, Ukraine, and Russia are in hot wars,” Dalio stressed that currently: “The major powers (the US and China) are not, though they remain at the brink of one.” He added: It appears that we are at a very critical juncture in which we will soon see if the Israel-Hamas war spreads and how far it spreads. Moreover, he said it remains to be seen “whether the great powers are forces for peace (and will back away from the brink of direct conflict) or get involve

Several reports say that the major Chinese real estate developer Evergrande’s downfall triggered a bank run in northern China last week. The bank run began after rumors spread that the financial institution, Bank of Cangzhou, allegedly loaned billions to the struggling company. This development came on the heels of an Evergrande announcement about the detention of its founder, Xu Jiayin. Evergrande’s Crisis Spills Over, Sparks Bank Run in China’s Cangzhou Prefecture Evergrande, the Chinese real estate giant, filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection in a New York court on Aug. 18, 2023. The company expanded quickly during China’s real estate boom and was once among China’s top real estate developers. However, its aggressive growth was financed by significant debt , and by 2021, it amassed more than $300 billion in debt and liabilities. Before its fall, concerns about significant financial fallout resonated both in China and globally . The implosion of Evergrande isn’t just a bli

Nishad Singh, former director of engineering at FTX, testified this week against his former boss Sam Bankman-Fried, detailing a software bug that hid billions in missing funds and excessive spending on celebrities and real estate. Singh Points Finger at $8 Billion Bug and Bankman-Fried’s Spending Sprees Nishad Singh told the court that a coding error he helped create prevented proper accounting of FTX and Alameda Research, allowing Alameda to secretly build up an $8 billion negative balance using customer funds. “The bug prevented the correct accounting for the fiat@ FTX account – the error grew to $8 billion,” Singh said. “I overheard a conversation between Gary and Adam Yedidia about it.” The courthouse play-by-play was published by Matthew Russell Lee from the Inner City Press . The ex-director also described Bankman-Fried’s lavish expenditures, including a $30 million penthouse in the Bahamas that Singh called “too ostentatious.” He said FTX spent over $1 billion on celebrit

After the United States recently accumulated hundreds of billions in debt and directed over $75 billion to Ukraine, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen assured on Monday that the nation is financially equipped to back two wars. U.S. Can ‘Certainly Afford’ 2 Wars Yellen Insists Amid Rising Debt and Possible Mid-November Shutdown Last month, just three hours shy of a potential U.S. government shutdown, President Joe Biden ratified a bill ensuring a 45-day operational continuation. Yet, if bipartisan agreement on spending remains elusive, another shutdown looms by mid-November. Speaking with the U.K.’s Sky News, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen delved into the Ukraine-Russia conflict and the Israel-Hamas dispute. In the conversation, Yellen conveyed her hesitance to gauge the economic repercussions of the Middle East’s recent turmoil but acknowledged the uptick in energy prices. Contrasting her remarks from last May, where she warned of a possible U.S. debt default by June, Yellen,

Although the travel industry is said to be in great need of digital innovation, according to Pablo Castillo, the CTO of the blockchain-based travel firm Chain4travel, “aviation is the most obvious sector to innovate with blockchain.” To support this assertion, Castillo, a former group CIO of Hotelplan Group, pointed to the aviation sector’s outdated technological infrastructures as well as its lack of standardized data. Pablo Castillo on Blockchain and Travel In written answers sent to Bitcoin.com News, the CTO also argued that the use of blockchain helps reduce fragmentation which at the moment is a defining characteristic of the travel industry. In addition, the use of this technology can also help bring “seamless operations across the industry.” However, much of how the technology can help reduce friction in the travel industry will depend on the agnostic nature of blockchain technology, Castillo argued. When asked why he believes that the travel industry should have its own lay