Bear markets are for building Bitcoin (BTC) companies. At least, that’s what the Legends of Lightning, a nine-week contest for competing Bitcoin businesses, would indicate. The tournament-come-hackathon ran more than 65 events worldwide as 73 projects battled it out to win 3 BTC ($50,000). The competition crowned Bitcoin startups Lightsats and AgriMint as winners of
Following the arrest of the former FTX boss Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), spectators continue to wonder where ex-Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison is, and whether or not she turned on SBF. A few reports suggest Ellison is “likely working with feds” and it’s possibly the reason why Ellison was reportedly spotted at the Ground Support cafe
The European Central Bank (ECB) decided to hike three of its key interest rates by 50 basis points (0.5%) as part of its ongoing war against inflation. The organization stated that further increases are likely to happen “because inflation remains far too high and is projected to stay above the target for too long.” ECB
A class-action lawsuit against Silvergate Bank, Silvergate Capital Corporation and Silvergate CEO Alan Lane was filed at the California Southern District Court concerning accounts held by embattled crypto companies FTX and Alameda Research. The suit aims to hold Silvergate accountable for its alleged roles in placing FTX user deposits into the bank accounts of Alameda,
The Japanese government is set to ease tax requirements for local crypto firms, as it pushes to stimulate growth in the domestic finance and tech sectors. At present, Japanese firms that issue crypto are required to pay a set 30% corporate tax rate on their holdings, even if they haven’t realized a profit through a
The incoming United States House Financial Services Committee chair Patrick McHenry wants the Treasury to delay the implementation of a section of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that deals with digital assets and tax collection. McHenry sent a letter on Dec. 14 to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen with questions and concerns about the
As blockchain developers compete for traffic and resources for their respective dapps (decentralized applications), the downside to this, according to some in the industry, can be a poor user experience which in turn undermines the mass adoption cause. Therefore, unless current blockchains — both Layers 1 and 2 — can overcome niggling issues like high
United States prosecutors have laid charges in two separate cases against nine people who founded or promoted a pair of cryptocurrency companies alleged to be Ponzi schemes that netted $8.4 million from investors. On Dec. 14 the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York unsealed the indictment, alleging the purported crypto mining
Sam Bankman-Fried, the jailed founder of bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX has reportedly filed a new application for bail in the Bahamas Supreme Court following his previous unsuccessful bail bid. Local media on Dec. 15 reported the founder submitted the application and that it would be heard before the court in just over one month’s time
The Central Bank of Russia has introduced measures to protect entities working with digital assets from sanctions pressures. These businesses will be exempted from some reporting requirements as part of a regulatory relief intended to minimize the burden on financial organizations. Russia’s Central Bank Eases Supervision of Digital Asset Platforms Amid Sanctions The Central Bank
Financial product comparison website Finder.com is being sued by Australia’s financial services regulator for allegedly offering a cryptocurrency yield-bearing product without the required license. It’s the second local provider of a crypto yield product to be targeted by the regulator, following action against Block Earner in November The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) began
Bitcoin (BTC) miner Core Scientific’s stock has soared nearly 200% in the past four days, following the positive reception for a Dec. 14 financing proposal from a current creditor who is hoping the firm can avoid bankruptcy. Shares for the embattled miner were sitting just over 13 cents on Dec. 12, before climbing to nearly
Two U.S. senators, including Elizabeth Warren, have introduced a bipartisan bill for the regulation of cryptocurrency. The bill, titled “Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act,” is “the most direct attack on the personal freedom and privacy of cryptocurrency users and developers we’ve yet seen,” according to crypto advocates. Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2022 Launched
The central bank of the Netherlands, De Nederlandsche Bank, has issued a warning to investors using KuCoin, saying the exchange was operating without legal registration. In a Dec. 15 announcement, the central bank said that MEK Global Limited, or MGL, which does business in the Netherlands as KuCoin, was not in compliance with the country’s Anti-Money
Researchers from German crypto blockchain-based payments fintech etonec and other organizations have proposed using zero-knowledge proofs to ensure regulatory compliance and privacy in stablecoins. They have created a design that allows fiat-based stablecoins to be used like cash, within limits. The researchers’ design allows a number of limits, including on transactions, balances and turnover, and
The former 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump, announced the launch of his new non-fungible token (NFT) trading cards on Dec. 15, 2022. Trump revealed the NFT collection via his Truth Social account and the former president told his fans that the NFTs would “make a great Christmas gift.” Former President Drops the
Crypto.com has received a Payment Institution License (EMI) from Banco Central do Brasil, the central bank of Brazil. The license will allow it to “continue offering regulated fiat wallet services for customers in Brazil,” according to an announcement on the company’s website. Crypto.com has offered a Visa card in Brazil for purchases in cryptocurrency or fiat
Institutions in Bermuda will soon be able to trade real-time settlements using a stablecoin with a 1:1 peg to the United States dollar, Jewel Bank founder and chairman Chance Barnett told Cointelegraph. Called Jewel USD (JUSD), the first stablecoin to be released in the territory is powered by the Polygon blockchain, enabling transactions between wallets
As the coldest days of the crypto winter set in, investors’ speculative interest in the crypto market has fallen to pre-2021 levels, impairing the chance of a substantial directional price move. However, there’s a possibility of a bear market rally akin to the July through August 2022 uptrend. The market enters a state of limbo
According to court documents associated with the FTX bankruptcy proceedings, on Nov. 9 — two days before the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection — FTX co-CEO Ryan Salame told Bahamian authorities that Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) sent customer funds to the firm Alameda Research. A letter written by Salame sent to the Bahamian commissioner