Bitcoin News and Finance: What You Need to Know

The Banque de France (BDF) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) have announced a collaboration on wholesale central bank digital currency (wCBDC). This partnership includes the HKMA’s involvement in Wave 2 of the European Central Bank’s Eurosystem exploratory work. The institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to innovate in wCBDC and tokenization markets, […]

Egon von Greyerz, founder of Matterhorn Asset Management and Gold Switzerland, has shared his insights, indicating potential for substantial increases in gold prices based on historical trends and current economic conditions. He explained that gold could reach up to $16,000 per ounce if it returns to its historical average relative to U.S. treasuries, and even […]

The Venezuelan migrant population, now exceeding 7 million, has used crypto to send over $460 million in remittances to the ones left behind in the country. According to Chainalysis, 30% of Venezuelan households received some form of remittance in 2023, with 9% using crypto as rails to reach their receivers efficiently. Venezuelan Migrants Sent Almost […]

Ten hours ago, the German government’s bitcoin wallets transferred 1,205 BTC to various parties. At 7:40 a.m. EDT, the wallets held approximately 38,621 BTC, but by 4:30 p.m., the government’s bitcoin holdings had dropped to 26,686 BTC after divesting an additional 11,935 BTC. Currently, the government’s bitcoin wallet is valued at approximately $1.5 billion in […]

Russian President Vladimir Putin highlights economic integration and dedollarization at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of State Council meeting, chaired by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “We are making wider use of national currencies for mutual settlements,” Putin stated, adding that over 80% of commercial transactions between Russia and the People’s Republic of China […]

Billionaire Jack Dorsey foresees a future where bitcoin could supplant the U.S. dollar as the dominant global currency. He envisions a scenario where bitcoin’s value could soar to $1 million by 2030. Highlighting the cryptocurrency’s decentralized nature, Dorsey underscores its potential to democratize financial systems and reduce reliance on traditional banking institutions. Jack Dorsey Anticipates […]

Welcome to Latam Insights, a compendium of Latin America’s most relevant crypto and economic news during the last week. In this issue: Paraguay raises bitcoin mining power fees, Bolivia talks about the utility of stablecoins as dollar alternatives, and Kavak tokenizes debt in Brazil. Paraguay Raises Bitcoin Mining Power Fees by 14%, Companies Mull Stopping […]

Economist and gold advocate Peter Schiff warns of a continued bitcoin decline, stating that “this bear market is a long way from over.” He predicts significant price falls for both bitcoin and ethereum, suggesting a potential crash if critical support levels fail. “It’s a long way down,” he said. Regarding ether, Schiff predicted: “I think […]

Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki predicts an imminent economic crash followed by a significant bull market where bitcoin could easily reach $10 million per coin, gold could reach $15,000 an ounce, and silver possibly $110 an ounce. Kiyosaki suggests this cycle is inevitable due to declining trust in fiat currencies and historical precedents. […]

Fundstrat’s head of research, Thomas Lee, has doubled down on his bitcoin price prediction of $150K by year-end, post Mt. Gox distribution. He expects “a pretty sharp rebound” for bitcoin in the second half of this year, citing the resolution of the Mt. Gox overhang, potential easing of Federal Reserve policies, and the impact of […]

Over the weekend, a prominent personality in the bitcoin and blockchain sector, Bruce Fenton, addressed Jack Dorsey, CEO of Block, Inc., through a post on the social media platform X. Fenton asserts that Dorsey owes an explanation, as Twitter’s senior leadership has faced accusations of orchestrating one of the most significant acts of censorship in […]

The Bank of Zambia has proposed a new series of guidelines that seek to outlaw the use of foreign currency, including the U.S. dollar, for local transactions. If finally approved, the document would establish harsh penalties for infringement, including jail time for up to ten years and hefty fines. Zambia to Punish Illegal Use of […]

Salyn Buzarquis, a Paraguayan senator, blasted the National Power Administration of Paraguay (ANDE), stating that high-ranking officials charged illegal bitcoin mining farms for operating underground. Buzarquis stated these unnamed officials collected up to $500,000 in bribes monthly and called for the resignation or interrogation of ANDE’s President Felix Sosa on this matter. Senator States National […]

A new report by blockchain intelligence firm TRM reveals that crypto thefts in the first half of 2024 have doubled compared to 2023, with $1.38 billion stolen by June 24. Major hacks constitute 70% of losses, with private key compromises and smart contract exploits as top attack vectors. Crypto projects are advised to adopt comprehensive […]

Peter Chung, an analyst of Presto Research, has examined the intensity of the selloff that ostensibly will be caused by the repayment of Mt Gox creditors, set to flood the market with close to 142,000 BTC between July and October. According to Chung, BCH will hurt the most with this selloff, given its weaker investor […]

A recent study has found that cryptocurrency ownership is associated with belief in conspiracy theories and “dark” personality traits such as narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism (collectively known as the “Dark Tetrad”). The research highlights the diverse political identities of crypto owners and their aversion to authoritarianism. Study Reveals Political and Psychological Traits of Cryptocurrency […]

The German government has been selling seized bitcoin but still holds more than 40K BTC, worth over $2.3 billion, according to onchain data from blockchain intelligence firm Arkham. These sales are occurring alongside the anticipated Mt. Gox bitcoin distributions. In response to Germany’s BTC liquidation, Tron founder Justin Sun has offered to purchase the remaining […]

The rise in hashrate allocated by unknown miner Phoenix to the BCH network has raised questions about the true motives of this action. Phoenix took BCH’s hashrate to over 10 EH/s, processing a relevant part of all the blocks and receiving the correspondent subsidy during the last days, but the community warns this might be […]

Hamilton has announced the tokenization of U.S. Treasury bills on Bitcoin’s layer two (L2) platforms, stating that it marks a significant advancement in bridging traditional finance with Bitcoin’s decentralized finance (defi) sector. The move aims to enhance financial accessibility and liquidity within the Bitcoin ecosystem. U.S. Treasury Bills Tokenized on Bitcoin’s L2s Hamilton, a startup […]

The EU–U.S. Joint Financial Regulatory Forum took place last week, with participants exchanging views on topics of mutual interest as part of their regular financial regulatory dialogue. The dialogue was hosted by the European Commission and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. During the forum, participants discussed digital finance and crypto assets, focusing on regulatory […]

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has advised the U.S. to improve its fiscal position by reducing spending and increasing revenues. The IMF emphasizes addressing rising debt through policy adjustments and recommends maintaining current interest rates until late 2024. “Given those risks, we agreed that the Fed should keep policy rates at the current level until […]

The Enforcement Division within South Africa’s Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has formed a team to investigate individuals or entities operating crypto financial services without proper licenses. Currently, 30 cases are under scrutiny. The FSCA aims to protect the public and maintain industry fairness by taking decisive action against unlawful crypto businesses. The regulator will […]

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Federal Reserve Board (FRB), and the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) have taken action against Silvergate Capital Corp., the holding company for Silvergate Bank, and its former executives for misleading investors and failing to monitor significant transactions. Silvergate has agreed to pay penalties without […]

Standard Chartered has predicted that bitcoin could hit a fresh all-time high in August and reach $100,000 by the November U.S. presidential election. The bank’s analyst expects a Trump victory to boost the price of bitcoin, while maintaining year-end and 2025 targets of $150,000 and $200,000, respectively. Bitcoin Surge Predicted Amid US Presidential Race Standard […]

Donald Trump’s prospects of winning the 2024 election have risen, with the prediction market Polymarket reporting his odds at 66% as of July 2, 2024. Meanwhile, a wager worth $294 million indicates that incumbent President Joe Biden’s chances stand at 18%. Trump Favored Over Biden in 2024 Election According to Prediction Markets The Polygon-powered prediction […]

The Department of Justice (DOJ)’s U.S. Marshals Service has selected crypto exchange Coinbase to provide crypto custody and trading services. The U.S. government’s contract, valued at over $32 million, aims to streamline the management and disposal of seized cryptocurrencies, ensuring professional and lawful handling. Coinbase Wins $32M Contract With US Marshals Service Crypto exchange Coinbase […]

Dave Portnoy, founder and owner of Barstool Sports, has recommended that investors focus on bitcoin for their crypto investments. “I’ve learned that the hard way,” he said, reflecting on lessons from his past crypto investing experiences. Portnoy recently declared his intention to purchase more bitcoin if its price declines substantially. Barstool’s Dave Portnoy Offers Crypto […]

Coinshares reported consecutive weekly outflows in digital asset investment products, totaling $30 million. Ethereum faced its worst year-to-date net flows with $61 million in outflows, while multi-asset and bitcoin ETPs saw inflows of $18 million and $10 million, respectively. Regional inflows occurred in the U.S., Brazil, and Australia, contrasted by outflows in Germany, Hong Kong, […]

Hashnote, a digital asset manager, has announced a partnership with crypto custody firm Anchorage Digital to offer secure investment returns for institutional clients. This collaboration integrates Anchorage’s custody services with Hashnote’s derivative strategies. Hashnote and Anchorage Join Forces to Reduce Counterparty Risk for Institutional Investors Investing in Crypto On Monday, Hashnote stated that the “collaboration […]

The U.S. state of Hawaii’s regulatory sandbox concludes today. Crypto companies will no longer require a Hawaii-issued money transmitter license to conduct business within the state. However, they must comply with federal regulations. Hawaii’s Regulatory Sandbox Concludes The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs of Hawaii and the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation (HTDC) issued an […]