During the weekend, discussions about central bank digital currencies, or CBDCs, trended on social media as many people believe the idea will result in increased financial surveillance and a totalitarian monetary system. In a recent interview, Lynette Zang, the chief market analyst at ITM Trading, warned that CBDCs will “take the world into a full
admin
Amid the banking chaos of the 21st century, some are looking back more than 600 years ago, to the Medici Bank — one of the most powerful banks of its time. It established its business and became one of the most respected banks in Europe during its prime, and the prominent Italian family of bankers
Statistics recorded on April 15, 2023, show that the number of coins in circulation for the stablecoin BUSD dropped below the 7 billion range to 6.68 billion, marking the lowest number of BUSD in circulation since April 2021. Furthermore, data indicates that the supply of BUSD has shrunk by 19.8% over the past 30 days.
In crypto news this week, the Ethereum network’s long awaited Shapella upgrade took effect, unlocking staked ether. In the broader financial world, economist Harry Dent has predicted a massive crash to hit by mid-June, bank lending plummeted by a record $105 billion in two weeks, and the USD’s ability to maintain its value even in
Prosecutors investigating failed blockchain firm Terraform Labs have found out that its Singapore office sent millions of U.S. dollars to lawyers just before the crash of its cryptocurrencies. According to Korean media, the transfers suggest that co-founder Do Kwon was aware of the imminent collapse. Terraform Labs Transferred Large Amounts of Money to South Korean
Nigerian economic experts have said the country’s five-year-old currency swap agreement with China has not eased the pressure against the Nigerian currency. According to one expert, implementation of the swap arrangement is being held back by the size of the trade imbalance between Nigeria and China Easing Pressure on the Naira According to experts on
On April 14, 2023, the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the Southern District of New York revealed that the hacker responsible for the Silk Road marketplace breach had been sentenced to a year in prison for wire fraud charges. James Zhong stole more than 50,000 bitcoin from the darknet marketplace (DNM) in September 2012. DOJ
The United States House Committee on Financial Services a.k.a the Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing on April 19 to discuss stablecoins’ position as a means of payment and whether or not the ecosystem needs supporting legislation. The Financial Services Committee issued a memorandum to announce an upcoming hearing titled “Understanding Stablecoins’ Role in
Digital art auction house Sotheby’s has altered its latest art sale significantly after receiving community feedback regarding a lack of diversity, meanwhile a novice player in Illivium: Beyond has made a staggering profit of 140,525% by finding the most elusive character in the game yet. Sotheby’s reboot Glitch Digital Art Sale after addressing diversity concerns
The G20 finance ministers and central bank governors have agreed that crypto regulation cannot be confined to one part of the world, said India’s finance minister. “Any action on crypto assets will have to be global,” she stressed, adding that the G20 finance chiefs’ discussion on crypto was “very substantive.” G20 Finance Chiefs on Crypto
Russia’s foreign minister says a flight from the U.S. dollar “is sure to accelerate,” emphasizing that “this trend is irreversible.” The official added: “The path of sanctions is the path to nowhere. Serious countries and sober-minded politicians are drawing relevant conclusions and these conclusions are definitely in favor of terminating dependence on the West.” Russian
The law firm representing victims affected by the FTX collapse have publicly appealed to NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal to show “courtesy and honor” by actually accepting their legal complaint after several unsuccessful attempts. In an April 14 tweet, The Moskowitz Law Firm revealed its team have been standing outside O’Neal’s TNT studios in Atlanta “all
Jeffrey Tucker says we are at the turning point for the U.S. dollar, citing a growing de-dollarization trend. “The dollar’s just not going to be king,” he warned, adding that history will record recent events “as the turning point for the dollar.” Jeffrey Tucker on De-Dollarization, USD’s Turning Point Jeffrey Tucker, an author and publisher
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that the U.S. losing a currency war against China would be like America losing a world war. “We’ll be a second-tier country,” Trump cautioned, adding that the U.S. dollar is “what makes us powerful and strong.” Donald Trump on US-China Currency War Former President Donald Trump warned in
Economist Paul Krugman questioned why Republican Florida governor Ron DeSantis opposes a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in a recent opinion editorial. Krugman suggested that DeSantis may be motivated by “general paranoia.” He speculated that DeSantis may be influenced by individuals who fear a digital currency could hinder “un-woke activities such as tax evasion and
Top Stories This Week Ethereum’s Shapella hard fork executed on mainnet The Ethereum blockchain’s mainnet, also referred to as the Beacon Chain, implemented the Shapella hard fork on April 12. The upgrade made fund withdrawals possible for those who have staked the network’s Ether (ETH) asset. Within the first hour of the hard fork, a
A new draft bill providing a framework for stablecoins in the United States was published on the House of Representatives’ document repository, a few days before a hearing on the topic on April 19. The draft puts the Federal Reserve in charge of non-bank stablecoin issuers, such as crypto firms Tether and Circle, respectively issuers
Blackrock’s CEO, Larry Fink, stated in an interview on Friday that he does not anticipate a “big recession” in the United States. However, he believes that “inflation is going to be stickier for longer.” In contrast to the U.S. central bank’s 2% goal, Fink predicts that “we’re going to have a 4ish floor in inflation.”
Entrepreneur Elon Musk is preparing to launch a startup that will compete with Openai, the creator of Chatgpt, a media report unveiled. According to quoted knowledgeable sources, the owner of Twitter and Tesla is already assembling a team of developers and talking to investors. Elon Musk Reportedly Working to Establish Openai Rival, Registers X.AI Corp
Following the Shapella hard fork on April 12, 2023, approximately 332,368 ether, valued at around $699 million, has been withdrawn. Despite these withdrawals, liquid staking protocols like Lido, Rocketpool, and others have experienced an increase in ether deposits over the last 30 days. Since March 14, a total of 281,498 ether worth $592 million have