Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

Britain’s Economic Secretary to the Treasury Andrew Griffith MP has reaffirmed the government’s ambition to make the U.K. a global hub for crypto asset technologies. He stressed that in order to realize this ambition, “we must make the U.K. a place where cryptoasset firms have the clarity needed to invest and innovate, and where customers have the protections necessary for confidently using these technologies.” U.K. Aspires to Become Global Crypto Hub Andrew Griffith MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, has reaffirmed the British government’s commitment to make the U.K. a global crypto hub. In the forward of HM Treasury’s response to the consultation and call for evidence regarding the future financial services regulatory regime for crypto assets, published this week, Griffith wrote: “I am very pleased to present these final proposals for cryptoasset regulation in the U.K. on behalf of the government.” He emphasized: The government’s ambition to make the U.K. a global hub for...

U.S. Senator Rand Paul has cautioned that the government’s “out-of-control spending” is threatening the very existence of the U.S. dollar and even the country. Commenting on the government spending billions of dollars to help multiple countries, Paul warned: “They’ll bankrupt our country in sending money everywhere all over the planet.” Senator Rand Paul’s USD and Economic Warnings U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) expressed concerns during an interview on Fox News, released on Sunday, about the potential economic impact of the U.S. government spending billions of dollars in aid to multiple countries simultaneously. Replying to a question about whether the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel are related, Senator Paul stressed: I would only say they are only related in the sense that they’ll bankrupt our country in sending money everywhere all over the planet. “It is probably the greatest threat to our national security if that’s what we are thinking that we’re supposed to do … to prote...

Global asset management firm Alliance Bernstein expects the price of bitcoin to reach $150,000 by 2025. The firm’s analyst has predicted “imminent” approvals of spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including those by leadi ng asset management companies like Blackrock and Fidelity. Alliance Bernstein: Bitcoin Could Hit $150K in 2025 Global asset management firm Alliance Bernstein expects the price of bitcoin to reach $150,000 by 2025, the firm’s senior analyst specializing in digital assets, Gautam Chhugani, wrote in a note Tuesday. This prediction is driven by optimism that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will soon approve spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs). “You may not like bitcoin as much as we do, but a dispassionate view of bitcoin as a commodity suggests a turn of the cycle,” the Bernstein analyst stated , elaborating: A good idea is only as good as its timing — SEC approved ETFs by world’s...

Renowned billionaire hedge fund manager Stanley Druckenmiller says he doesn’t own any bitcoin but he should. He sees the crypto as a brand. When comparing bitcoin to gold, he said: “It’s clear that the young people look at it as a store of value because it’s a lot easier to do stuff with.” Stan Druckenmiller Says He Should Own Bitcoin Billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller discussed bitcoin investing with fellow hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones during a fireside chat at the JPMorgan/Robin Hood Investors Conference in New York City on Oct. 24. Druckenmiller is the chairman and CEO of Duquesne Family Office LLC. He was previously a managing director at Soros Fund Management where he had overall responsibility for funds with a peak asset value of $22 billion. According to Forbes’ list of billionaires, his personal net worth is currently $6.4 billion. When asked about gold and bitcoin, Druckenmiller said: “I’m 70 years old. I own gold.” Emphasizing that he likes both gold and bi...

Over seven years ago, on April 30, 2016, the first decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) emerged, marking a significant shift in the digital world. However, just three months later, a cyberattack brought it down, leading to its unfortunate collapse. Today, the landscape has transformed dramatically, with numerous DAOs thriving, and 179 treasuries surpassing $1 million. In total, these organizations hold $18 billion in assets, both liquid and vested. As of 2023, the top five DAO treasuries alone hold $11 billion, spread across various token assets. 2023’s Leading DAOs Various sectors in the world of digital assets have been hit by the crypto winter but decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) have seen growth. In essence, a DAO stands as a digital governance model, orchestrated by smart contracts, with decisions documented on a blockchain. With 179 DAO platforms overseeing assets surpassing $1 million, the following is an overview of the top five DAOs as they stand in 2023...

America’s securities regulator has been urged to decide if it will approve a plan to transform Celsius Network into a bitcoin mining firm. The proposal seeks to repay customers of the bankrupt cryptocurrency lender with both crypto assets and stock in a new publicly traded mining entity. New York Judge Hopes for Expedited SEC Decision on Celsius’ Repayment Proposal Judge Martin Glenn, who oversees the bankruptcy of Celsius , has called on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to quickly decide whether it will authorize the company to transform itself into a crypto mining firm, Bloomberg reported. During a court hearing on Monday, Glenn told a lawyer representing the regulator that he hopes the SEC will expedite the decision-making process because Celsius and its creditors have quickly moved through Chapter 11. The judge was quoted as stating: The SEC will make whatever decision it believes is the correct one. I just hope the process will move forward, so if there are ...

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler has wished Bitcoin’s white paper a happy anniversary. In addition to his playful remark about Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto dressing up in a Halloween costume, Gensler issued a stern warning to crypto firms, emphasizing the importance of complying with securities laws. SEC Chair Gary Gensler’s Message on the Bitcoin White Paper’s 15th Anniversary The chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gary Gensler, has wished Bitcoin’s white paper a happy anniversary. In a post on social media platform X on Tuesday, the regulator wrote: “Happy 15th anniversary to Satoshi’s famous white paper that started crypto.” He also attempted to make a humorous remark regarding Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto’s Halloween costume, asking whether we would be able to tell if Satoshi dressed up as himself for Halloween. Gensler ended his post with a trick-or-treating message for crypto firms. “Any crypto companies tha...

Lawyers for Sam Bankman-Fried are seeking to instruct the jury that no trust or fiduciary relationship existed between the crypto exchange and its customers, a key part of the prosecution’s fraud case. Bankman-Fried’s Attorneys Question Trust Ties In an addendum to earlier requests, Sam Bankman-Fried ‘s attorneys argue that under English law, which governs FTX’s terms of service, no trust relationship arose between FTX and users. “The Terms of Service do not use the words ‘trust,’ ‘trust property,’ or ‘beneficial interest,'” the filing states. It adds that any language about fiduciary duties expressly disclaims such a relationship. The defense aims to counter the government’s claim that Bankman-Fried “engaged in a scheme to defraud customers” by misappropriating deposits. Prosecutors allege FTX customer funds were improperly diverted to Bankman-Fried’s trading firm Alameda Research. However, according to the defense, “subjective intentions are irrelevant” in determining if a...

British banking giant Standard Chartered-owned crypto custody firm Zodia is launching services in Hong Kong. “The Hong Kong government and the regulators see digital assets as the future and also want Hong Kong to be a hub,” the crypto firm’s CEO emphasized. Zodia has already expanded into three other Asian markets. Standard Chartered’s Zodia Expanding Into Hong Kong Zodia Custoday, a crypto custody firm owned by Standard Chartered, Northern Trust, and Japan’s SBI, is launching services in Hong Kong, CNBC reported Sunday. The company is based in London and registered in the U.K. with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), in Ireland with the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI), and in Luxembourg with the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF). Julian Sawyer, the CEO of Zodia, explained that Hong Kong is a market where institutional demand for crypto is stronger than retail demand, making it the ideal market for her company. The executive added: The Hong Kong government ...

Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki has recommended an investment allocation that he says may help you survive the greatest crash in world history. Noting that financial experts have promoted a 60/40 portfolio allocation of stocks and bonds, he stressed that people with this allocation will be the “biggest losers.” Robert Kiyosaki’s Recommended Investment Allocation The author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, has shared an investment allocation that he believes will help investors weather the upcoming financial crash, which he has warned will be the worst in world history. 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. The famous author wrote on social media platform X Sunday: “Ship of Fools. Forever and ever financial experts have promoted the idea ‘Smart Investors...

Global asset management firm Alliancebernstein’s research arm expects the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to approve its first spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) in early January 2024. Noting that the regulator “has been actively responding with edits/comments on the ETF applications,” the firm’s analysts said: “The probability of an approval by the Jan. 10 due date looks highly likely.” Spot Bitcoin ETF Approval ‘Highly Likely’ in January Bernstein Research, a subsidiary of global asset management firm Alliancebernstein, expects the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to approve its first spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) in January next year. A memo from Bernstein Research sent to Thestreetcrypto reads: A bitcoin ETF in early Jan is now looking like a ‘done deal.’ The memo explains that the market was waiting to see if the SEC would “ appeal against the Grayscale verdict.” The largest crypto asset manager, Grayscale Investments, is seeking ...

U.S. Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo says crypto is not the vast majority of the ways terrorist groups are funded, noting that these organizations “continued to use the traditional banking system.” His statements followed media reports claiming that Hamas raised a large sum of money in cryptocurrency. Crypto Not Major Funding Source for Terrorist Groups Wally Adeyemo, United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, addressed the role of cryptocurrency in financing terrorist organizations during an interview on Friday with the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)’s Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies. Several news outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, recently reported that Hamas raised millions of dollars in crypto. However, blockchain data analytics firm Elliptic clarified that these media reports misrepresented its data, and there is actually no evidence that Hamas has received large volumes of crypto funds. Adeyemo said during Friday’s interview: ...

Recent insights reveal that a solo miner successfully mined block 814,308 employing a mere 11 petahash per second (PH/s) of mining power. This feat was achieved through Solo Ckpool, a service for solo miners endowed with lower hashrates or older, less efficient hardware. Solo Miner Finds Another Block in 2023; Unveils Unpredictable Vein of Bitcoin Mining The realm of solo miners—entities mining bitcoin without the support of behemoth pools—has witnessed the discovery of several blocks this year. On October 28, 2023, Con Kolivas, a developer who manages Solo Ckpool announced that a lone bitcoin miner discovered block 814,308 wielding 11 PH/s of hashpower. Unlike the colossal BTC mining pools that share the spoils of most of today’s block discovery, unique platforms like Ckpool are engineered to empower solo miners to carve their path independently. Although Ckpool boasts 3.1 exahash per second (EH/s) of hashpower, the scenario morphs when a solo miner strikes gold by mining a blo...

Welcome to Latam Insights, a compendium of Latin America’s most relevant crypto and economic news during the last week. In this issue: Argentina prepares for a run-off election with crypto on the agenda, Colombia works to formulate a digital peso, and Prosegur will build a crypto-secure bunker in Brazil. Argentina Will Face a Run-off Election With Crypto on the Agenda The first round of the presidential election in Argentina determined that Javier Milei, the libertarian candidate, and Sergio Massa, the current economy minister, will be facing a run-off election that has a crypto element to it. While Milei has repeatedly proposed the elimination of the Central Bank of Argentina and the adoption of the dollar as legal tender in the country as the main points of his hypothetical administration, Massa recently discussed the creation of a national digital currency, which would be used by his administration to reduce tax costs and curbing tax evasion by bringing more of the Argentine ec...

Germans can now order a “crypto stamp” that will feature images of historical buildings rendered by artificial intelligence (AI). The stamp, to be released by Deutsche Post in November, is already available for pre-order and will come in both physical form and as a non-fungible token (NFT). Germany’s First NFT Stamp Shows an AI Interpretation of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin Deutsche Post, part of the DHL Group and successor to the former state German mail authority Deutsche Bundespost, is preparing to issue an official crypto stamp. It will come as a physical stamp and as a blockchain-based digital version, or NFT. Both the original stamp and access information for the tokenized stamp will be included in a booklet that can be ordered since mid-October, BTC Echo reported. “The offer is very well received and exceeds our expectations,” a spokesperson told the German crypto news outlet. A total of 250,000 copies will be issued, the Deutsche Post representative said, noting that t...

Digital assets worth approximately $4.4 million were reportedly stolen from more than 80 addresses belonging to 25 users of the password management app Lastpass. Crypto theft investigator Zachxbt has urged crypto asset holders using the password manager to consider removing their keys and passphrases from the app. More Than 80 Addresses Compromised According to the online crypto theft investigator Zachxbt, approximately $4.4 million was stolen from more than 25 individuals using the password manager app Lastpass. The theft, which is said to have occurred on Oct.25, is suspected to be the work of a single threat actor. At the time of writing, more than 80 distinct addresses were compromised. An analysis of the breach published on Chainabuse suggests that the theft may be “related to a larger case that dates back to at least December 2022.” As previously reported by Bitcoin.com News, the password management app’s cloud-based storage environment was breached in August 2022 but Lastp...

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reportedly wants Ripple to pay a $770 million penalty for violating securities laws. Crypto lawyer John Deaton explained that the securities regulator is “pissed and embarrassed” after it lost several legal battles against the crypto firm. SEC Wants $770M From Ripple Crypto lawyer John Deaton detailed on social media platform X Wednesday that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is demanding a $770 million penalty from Ripple for violating securities laws. The SEC is pursuing this penalty after losing several legal battles against Ripple. Last week, the regulator dropped charges against Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and co-founder Chris Larsen. Earlier this month, District Judge Analisa Torres rejected the agency’s bid to appeal her ruling regarding XRP . Deaton opined: The SEC is pissed and embarrassed and wants $770M worth of flesh. “What people need to understand is that the penalty phase is like a second case r...

Billionaire Elon Musk has revealed that he is turning his social media platform X, formerly Twitter, into an all-encompassing financial platform. “When I say payments, I actually mean someone’s entire financial life … If it involves money. It’ll be on our platform,” he claimed, emphasizing: “You won’t need a bank account.” Elon Musk’s Plan for X Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and Spacex and owner of social media platform X (formerly Twitter), revealed to X employees in an all-hands call on Thursday that he is transforming X into a financial hub for users, The Verge reported, citing an audio recording of the meeting it had obtained. Noting that he expects financial and payment features to launch on X by the end of 2024, Musk claimed that people will be surprised with “just how powerful it is.” The billionaire described: When I say payments, I actually mean someone’s entire financial life … If it involves money. It’ll be on our platform. Money or securities or whatever. So, it’s not just ...

Economist Peter Schiff has warned that the U.S. dollar will tank, taking the U.S. economy and the American standard of living down with it. Noting that everyone who owns U.S. dollars could “get destroyed,” he cautioned: “We are getting very close to a crash in Treasuries. That means the party will finally come to an end. The truth will be laid bare as the day of reckoning arrives with a vengeance.” Peter Schiff on Treasuries Crashing, US Dollar Tanking Economist and gold bug Peter Schiff warned about the state of the U.S. economy and the collapse of the U.S. dollar again this week. “We are getting very close to a crash in Treasuries. That means the party will finally come to an end. The truth will be laid bare as the day of reckoning arrives with a vengeance,” he wrote on social media platform X Wednesday. The economist stressed: The dollar will tank, taking the U.S. economy and the American standard of living down with it. “U.S. Treasuries are now the ultimate risk asset, as l...

Mark Cuban, a Shark Tank investor and the owner of the NBA team Dallas Mavericks, has shared what he thinks crypto is really about. “Crypto is still waiting for its Instagram moment,” the billionaire said, noting that “What crypto is missing is that one application that grandma really wants to use.” Mark Cuban Shares What Crypto Needs to Go Mainstream Billionaire Mark Cuban, a Shark Tank star and the owner of the NBA team Dallas Mavericks, answered a number of questions from users on social media platform X during an episode of Wired’s “Tech Support,” broadcast on Wednesday. Some questions were about cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Replying to a question about whether he thinks crypto is dead, Cuban promptly said: “No. Hell no.” However, the billionaire added: But I do think crypto has some problems. Number one, most people, when they think crypto, they think speculation. That’s not what crypto’s really about. “Number two, crypto is really about creating new appl...

Two U.S. lawmakers have asked the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to consider criminal charges against Binance and Tether, alleging that the two crypto platforms were used to fund Hamas. “We urge the Department of Justice to carefully evaluate the extent to which Binance and Tether are providing material support and resources to support terrorism through violations of applicable sanctions laws and the Bank Secrecy Act,” the lawmakers stressed. Lawmakers Concerned About Binance and Tether The office of U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) announced Thursday that the senator from Wyoming and U.S. Representative French Hill (R-AR) have sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) “to swiftly investigate Binance and Tether.” They alleged that the two cryptocurrency platforms have been used to fund Hamas and “have a history of allowing illegal activity to occur.” Lummis is a member of the Senate Banking Committee while Hill is the chair of...

A new law that gives law enforcement agencies greater powers to seize, freeze, and recover crypto assets has entered into force in the U.K. The law introduces provisions for police to “seize crypto assets more easily and convert them into money before a forfeiture hearing has taken place,” the British government explained, adding: “In exceptional circumstances, there will also be a power to destroy seized cryptocurrency.” Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 The U.K. government announced Thursday that the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, which aims to “fight fraud, counter corruption, and bolster legitimate business,” has received Royal Assent. After being introduced to Parliament in September 2022, the bill underwent a year of debate and amendments before receiving Royal Assent and becoming law. The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act introduces powers that will allow British authorities to “proactively target organized criminals and othe...

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is currently considering between eight and 10 bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications, according to SEC Chairman Gary Gensler. He insisted that “the vast majority of crypto assets likely meet the investment contract test, making them subject to the securities laws.” SEC Chair Gary Gensler on Spot Bitcoin ETFs U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler said Thursday that the regulator has eight to 10 spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications under review. The SEC has not yet approved a spot bitcoin ETF, even though the agency has greenlighted several ETFs linked to bitcoin futures contracts. Regarding bitcoin ETF decisions, the SEC chairman stated: They’ll come potentially to the five-member commission. I’m not going to prejudge them but I don’t have anything on timing. They all have various different filing dates. Gensler did not specify the eight to 10 spot bitcoin ETF applications t...