Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

According to Kronos Research, the crypto trading firm lost assets worth $26 million on Nov. 18 after an unknown party illegally accessed its application programming interface (API). Kronos Research claimed the losses associated with the unauthorized API access do not constitute “a significant portion” of its equity. Breach Does Not Affect Kronos’ Financial Standing On Nov. 18, Kronos Research, a crypto trading firm, revealed that an unknown party had illegally accessed some of its application programming interface (API) prompting it to pause all trading. Kronos Research claimed in a statement shared via X (formerly Twitter) that the value of the stolen funds does not constitute “a significant portion of our equity.” While the crypto firm did not initially disclose the value of the stolen assets, Zachxbt — an online crypto theft investigator — suggested that the cybercriminals had siphoned more than 12,800 ether ( ETH ) worth more than $20.3 million. However, in a later update a...

Argentina has welcomed Javier Milei as its newly elected president, with the libertarian candidate achieving a majority in the popular vote, surpassing his opponent Sergio Massa. Milei, who identifies as an anarcho-capitalist, has expressed his intention to dismantle the political “caste” which he accuses of failing the nation, boldly asserting earlier this year that the state “destroys wealth.” Milei Triumphs in Argentina’s Presidential Race At 53, the libertarian economist Javier Milei has claimed victory over the left-leaning finance minister Sergio Massa to become Argentina’s president. In a recent interview with Tucker Carlson, Milei, an advocate of free-market capitalism, attributed Argentina’s economic challenges to its century of socialist policies. The election on Sunday evening was a decisive run-off, following a tightly contested initial vote where Massa had a narrow lead. Massa conceded defeat to Milei on Sunday before the final vote tally was announced. “The result...

Since October 18, 2023, the aggregate value locked in decentralized finance (defi) has witnessed a substantial augmentation of $9.3 billion within a one-month span. Among the leading ten defi protocols, Rocket Pool, known for its liquid staking services, achieved the most notable growth, soaring by 26.94% during the preceding 30 days. Defi TVL Swells by More Than 25% Since October 18 Approximately 32 days ago, the total value locked (TVL) in decentralized finance (defi) stood at about $36.38 billion, escalating by $9.3 billion to the present figure of $45.68 billion . This reflects a notable growth of approximately 25.56% in the past month. Data reveals that each of the top ten defi protocols by TVL experienced growth in the last month, with Rocket Pool leading the pack by surging 26.94%. As of November 19, 2023, Rocket Pool’s TVL surpasses $2 billion, with over 1.02 million ether committed to its liquid staking platform. At the forefront of the defi domain this weekend is Lido, w...

On Sunday, November 19, 2023, Bitcoin’s hashrate maintained a steady pace at 468 exahash per second (EH/s), surpassing the intended ten-minute block interval average. The most recent block was processed in just 7 minutes and 37 seconds. Present observations suggest that if this trend in block intervals persists, the network could anticipate a 3% increase in difficulty, marking the seventh consecutive rise since September 19. Efficient Mining Tech and Higher Prices Fuel Bitcoin’s Rapid Hashrate Growth in 2023 As of block height 817,532, a significant 93.08% of all bitcoins destined to be in circulation have already been mined, amounting to roughly 19,546,861.78 BTC at the time of writing. Block times have been consistently shorter than the target average of ten minutes, ranging between 9 minutes and 43 seconds to 7 minutes and 37 seconds , with a median average of 9 minutes and 40 seconds over the last day. Despite the previous difficulty adjustment, Bitcoin’s hashrate continues t...

U.S. presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy says the government is “threatened by the existence of Bitcoin,” emphasizing that if the cryptocurrency becomes more popular, it would create “a threat to the incumbent status of the U.S. Federal Reserve itself.” He promised to ensure the government is “staying the heck out of the business of those who are innovating” if he’s elected president. Vivek Ramaswamy: Government Threatened by the Existence of Bitcoin U.S. presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy discussed a number of topics, including Bitcoin, in an interview with Natalie Brunell, published this week. He also recently revealed his crypto policy framework. “My view on the promise of Bitcoin … is an opt-out from the broken financial architecture created by the U.S. Federal Reserve System,” he began. While emphasizing that he wants to “fight for the dollar to remain the reserve currency of the world,” Ramaswamy stressed that there are two ways of doing it. “One is if you are really...

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler was slammed by the crypto community for stating: “We are not prosecutors of honest business, nor defenders of crookedness.” Many crypto advocates pushed back against Gensler, arguing that the SEC under his leadership has taken legal action against honest businesses, like Ripple and LBRY, while protecting crooks like former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF). Crypto Community Outraged at Gensler’s Remarks The chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gary Gensler, drew heavy criticism from the crypto community on Thursday when he stated on social media platform X that the securities regulator does not prosecute honest businesses and does not defend individuals engaged in fraudulent activities. Gensler wrote: As Joseph P. Kennedy, the first SEC Chair, once said: ‘We are not prosecutors of honest business, nor defenders of crookedness. We are partners of honest business & prosecutors of dishones...

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has reportedly provided specific guidance to exchanges seeking to list and trade spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on what they should do next. “This is real progress,” said one crypto exchange insider. “The cash vs in-kind debate looks to be finding clarity.” SEC’s Advice Regarding Spot Bitcoin ETFs Optimism for spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) approval by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) surged again on Friday after a report of the SEC engaging with exchanges to provide guidance on spot bitcoin ETF applications emerged. Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas shared on social media platform X that he is hearing chatter suggesting that the SEC’s Division of Trading and Markets engaged in discussions with exchanges this week, advising them to use the cash creation method, instead of the in-kind method, for spot bitcoin ETFs. Moreover, the securities regulator reportedly asked exchanges to file amendments to...

Recent data reveals the crypto economy has experienced notable growth over the past month, with a substantial portion of its trading activity originating from South Korea. As an illustration, on Saturday, November 18, 2023, the Korean won accounted for 3.53% of all bitcoin ( BTC ) trades in the previous 24 hours. Bitcoin Price Soars $1,300 Above Global Norm in South Korea Cryptocompare.com’s data indicates that, on Saturday, bitcoin ( BTC ) trades involving the Korean won constituted 3.53% of the total. Ethereum ( ETH ) trades paired with the won represented about 1.65% , and a significant 8.78% of solana (SOL) trades were also conducted with the won. South Korea’s trading volumes have emerged as a significant force, with Upbit alone processing $2.62 billion in trades in the last 24 hours, making it the 11th largest crypto exchange by volume this weekend. Dogecoin trades with the Korean won comprised 3.06%, while the won also made up 19.77% of avalanche trades on Saturday. South...

Presidential candidate and Economy Minister Sergio Massa has proposed to develop a system to allow citizens to control and monitor state finance using blockchain tech in Argentina. At a recent presidential campaign rally, he declared that Argentines “should be able to control state accounts with their mobile phones,” interacting with the national budget. Sergio Massa Discusses Blockchain Monitoring for State Accounts in Argentina Sergio Massa, a presidential candidate and the Economy Minister of Argentina, proposed implementing a blockchain-based system to monitor state accounts and the execution of the national budget. Massa declared that this system would benefit the citizens and the country, increasing the transparency of the expenses and incomes by making this data available to the population. At a rally, Massa stated : We live in the age of communication. I want every Argentine to be able to control the state accounts online from their cell phone. So each of the Argentines h...

Following the announcement by Openai, a firm dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI), that Sam Altman is stepping down, Worldcoin, a crypto venture backed by Altman, experienced a 13.5% decline in its native asset WLD compared to the U.S. dollar. Openai, in an open letter addressed to the public, revealed that its board has reached a consensus that it “no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading Openai.” Sam Altman Departs Openai, Triggering Worldcoin Slide On the day of Friday, November 17, 2023, Openai, known for developing Chatgpt, declared that its CEO, Sam Altman , is exiting the organization. Mira Murati, the CTO, has been named the interim CEO to guide Openai during this transition. The letter articulates Openai’s gratefulness for Altman’s “many contributions” to the inception and expansion of the company. Nonetheless, it also underscores the AI firm’s board’s loss of “confidence” in his ongoing leadership at Openai. The company’s board stated: Mr. Altma...

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva says central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) can replace cash. She has urged the public sector to “keep preparing to deploy CBDCs and related payment platforms,” emphasizing that these platforms “should be designed from the start to facilitate cross-border payments, including with CBDCs.” IMF Chief Encourages CBDC Adoption Kristalina Georgieva, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), discussed central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) Wednesday at this year’s Singapore Fintech Festival. The IMF also released a CBDC handbook as a reference guide for policymakers and experts at central banks and ministries of finance around the world. The IMF chief detailed: CBDCs can replace cash which is costly to distribute in island economies. They can offer resilience in more advanced economies. And they can improve financial inclusion where few hold bank accounts. “CBDCs would offer a safe and lo...

The U.S. cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase was recently hit with a fine exceeding $11,000 by a Russian court. The fine stems from the crypto exchange’s refusal to comply with a law that requires foreign companies to localize data of their respective Russian users or customers. Localizing Databases of Russian Users A court in Russia recently imposed a fine of just over $11,000 on the U.S. cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase. The court said the fine relates to Coinbase’s alleged refusal to localize data on Russian nationals who use the crypto exchange platform. According to a report from one online media outlet, Coinbase’s non-adherence with Russia’s data regulations means the crypto exchange is guilty of an administrative offense under Part 8 of Art. 13.11 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. As noted in the report, AIDA International was similarly fined for refusing to observe the country’s new data regulations. Since the end of May, Russia’s Federal Serv...

Global investment bank JPMorgan expects its digital currency, JPM coin, to “start taking off.” The bank says JPM coin could handle $10 billion in daily transactions in the next year or two, according to its global head of financial institution payments. He emphasized that JPM coin transactions should grow at least five to tenfold. JPMorgan’s JPM Coin Poised to Handle $10B Daily Global investment bank JPMorgan’s global head of financial institution payments, Umar Farooq, discussed the bank’s own digital currency, JPM coin, on Wednesday in an interview with Bloomberg on the sidelines of the Singapore Fintech Festival. Farooq expressed his optimism for JPM coin transactions to grow at least five to tenfold, emphasizing the potential for daily transactions with JPM coin to reach $10 billion within the next year or two. He opined: We really think it’s going to start taking off. JPMorgan described JPM coin as “a permissioned system that serves as a payment rail and deposit account l...

Fifty-eight U.S. lawmakers have probed President Joe Biden and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen regarding Hamas’ digital asset operations, as well as whether the U.S. has had success in seizing illicit cryptocurrencies. Despite reports that terrorist groups have raised millions in crypto, the lawmakers stressed: “It remains unclear how much, if any, of the publicly identified digital assets are accessible to or remains in the possession of Hamas.” Lawmakers Want Answers From Biden, Yellen Fifty-eight U.S. lawmakers sent a bipartisan letter to President Joe Biden and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday seeking answers regarding Hamas’ crypto operations, including the group’s “ability to utilize digital assets to finance its operations.” The fact-finding letter aims to help Congress gain a better understanding of Hamas’ use of cryptocurrencies. Noting that Congress needs “greater context around Hamas’s operations,” the lawmakers, including U.S. Representatives Tom Emmer (R-M...

U.S. presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has unveiled his “Three Freedoms of Crypto” policy framework. He stated that as President, he will ensure that innovative sectors, including crypto, are “liberated from the shackles of the unconstitutional shadow government.” He expects to rescind most, if not all, of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations that apply to cryptocurrencies. Vivek Ramaswamy’s Crypto Policy U.S. presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy unveiled his cryptocurrency policy on Thursday. He wrote on social media platform X: Rolling out my ‘Three Freedoms of Crypto’ policy framework at the North American Blockchain Summit this morning in Texas. “Since the inception of crypto, the shadow government in the administrative state in Washington, D.C., and its cronies on Wall Street have tried to quash its rise. They have implemented policies through the *backdoor* using administrative rule-making and arbitrary enforcement that Congress never passe...

A critical vulnerability in early cryptocurrency wallets, identified by cybersecurity startup Unciphered, threatens billions of dollars in digital assets. Originating from a flaw in the BitcoinJS software used for wallet generation between 2011 and 2015, this issue exposes wallets to potential exploitation. Millions of users are being urged to transfer their assets to wallets generated with updated, secure software. Report Shows Early Crypto Wallets Exposed to Billion-Dollar Vulnerability Unciphered ‘s exhaustive 22-month investigation has unearthed a significant flaw in BitcoinJS, a widely used browser-based cryptocurrency wallet generation tool. This flaw stems from the SecureRandom function in the JSBN javascript library, compounded by weaknesses in major browsers’ Math.random implementations. This vulnerability, affecting wallets created from 2011 to 2015, makes them susceptible to attacks, with earlier wallets being more vulnerable. Unciphered disclosed that it has coordinate...

Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood says the crypto ecosystem will be dominated by bitcoin and ether and will scale from about $1 trillion today to $25 trillion in 2030. “The regulatory breakthrough is very important to bring institutions online,” said the asset manager, emphasizing that the partnership between Blackrock, the world’s largest asset manager, and the Nasdaq-listed crypto exchange Coinbase “ is going to be very important.” Cathie Wood’s Crypto Market Outlook: $25T by 2030 Cathie Wood, the CEO and CIO of Ark Investment Management (Ark Invest), discussed the future outlook for the crypto industry and the potential approval of spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday. Wood is optimistic about the SEC approving spot bitcoin ETFs, pointing to “significant” changes in the current regulatory landscape compared to a year ago. She mentioned, “The SEC actually asked us questions,” referring to Ark’...

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has published its latest enforcement results relating to crypto assets. “Fiscal year 2023 was another highly productive and impactful year for the SEC’s enforcement efforts relating to crypto asset securities,” the regulator described. “The investing public benefits from the Division of Enforcement’s work as a cop on the beat,” SEC Chairman Gary Gensler claimed. SEC’s FY 2023 Crypto Enforcement Actions The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced its enforcement results for the fiscal year 2023 on Tuesday. The securities regulator revealed that it filed 784 total enforcement actions, a 3% increase over fiscal year 2022. SEC Chair Gary Gensler commented: The investing public benefits from the Division of Enforcement’s work as a cop on the beat. Regarding crypto assets, the SEC stated: “Fiscal year 2023 was another highly productive and impactful year for the SEC’s enforcement efforts relating to crypto asset securit...

PRESS RELEASE. Polytrade , a leading real-world asset protocol, is taking a major step in its evolution, demonstrating its unwavering commitment to addressing the critical issues surrounding real-world assets. The platform is changing the way RWAs are aggregated and serves as a comprehensive solution for discovering, tokenizing, and facilitating liquidity for real-world assets. Though the supply of real-world assets has seen significant improvement in recent times, the challenge remains on the demand side. The real-world asset space needs a dedicated platform purpose-built to facilitate discovery, primary sales, and secondary liquidity. Polytrade is stepping up to fill this crucial void by building an RWA Marketplace, the foremost platform that solves these issues. Polytrade’s RWA Marketplace will serve as a dynamic hub where diverse assets find their value and participants can confidently interact in a secure environment. The marketplace shall have solutions not just for buyers, b...

The National Hockey League, the NHL Players’ Association, and the NHL Alumni Association have collaborated with the non-fungible token (NFT) firm Sweet to introduce NHL Breakaway, a digital collectibles platform. The NHL says the collectibles enable fans globally to collect, gift, trade, and showcase highlights and significant moments from NHL history. NHL Partners With Sweet; Launches New Digital Collectibles Experience for Fans According to the announcement on Wednesday, NHL Breakaway marks a new phase in the realm of sports digital collectibles. Sweet , in collaboration with the NHL and its associates, disclosed that it has leveraged the hockey league’s extensive highlight archives to develop an immersive experience for users. The platform allows fans to acquire packs that include highlights, uniquely packaged with various camera angles and the natural sounds of the game. Tom Mizzone, CEO of Sweet, commented on the collaboration: “In this groundbreaking partnership, we’re not j...

Over 40 countries have agreed to implement the crypto reporting framework developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as mandated by the G20. The widespread, consistent, and timely implementation of this crypto reporting framework “will further improve our ability to ensure tax compliance and clamp down on tax evasion, which reduces public revenues and increases the burden on those who pay their taxes,” they said. 48 Jurisdictions Implementing OECD’s Crypto Reporting Framework Forty-eight jurisdictions, including more than 40 countries, issued a joint statement on Friday regarding the implementation of the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), as mandated by the G20. The statement was jointly issued by Armenia, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany,...

Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki has cautioned that fiat money is not safe, emphasizing that central banks are buying gold to save themselves. He urged investors to safeguard themselves against central bankers and reiterated his advice to invest in gold, silver, and bitcoin. Is Fiat Money Safe? Robert Kiyosaki Says ‘Hell No’ The author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, has urged investors to protect themselves from central bankers, emphasizing that fiat money is not safe. 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 X Saturday: Central banks like Fed are buying gold. Does this mean fiat money is safe? Hell no! “Central bankers are saving themselves from their own incompetence, that’s why they buy gold. Their job is to protect the ...