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BTC – Bitcoin

1537 articles

August 2021

Billionaire investor John Paulson calls crypto “worthless bubble,” backs gold

John Paulson, the billionaire who famously shorted the U.S. subprime mortgage bubble in 2008, has called crypto a bubble that will “eventually prove to be worthless” in an interview with Bloomberg TV. Fast facts “I wouldn’t advise anyone to invest in cryptocurrencies,” said the 65-year-old, who has consistently backed gold as a store of value. […]

Square’s Jack Dorsey to build decentralized Bitcoin exchange

Jack Dorsey, CEO of tech giants Square and Twitter, announced on Friday that Square’s new decentralized finance division, TBD, plans to build a decentralized Bitcoin exchange. Fast facts “We’ve determined TBD’s direction: help us build an open platform to create a decentralized exchange for Bitcoin,” he tweeted. Project lead for TBD Mike Brock also tweeted […]

How Bitcoin and Ethereum are rekindling with equities

What is the relationship between crypto assets and stock prices? An analysis week’s market trends.

Forkast.News exclusive: Antinalysis is out, proud and ready to tell (almost) all

In a special Q&A, an Antinalysis spokesperson reveals the source of the company’s controversial data and disputes that it’s for criminals. ‘Privacy is a human right.’

Korea reveals crypto exchange ‘Death Note’: DeFi investment booms

Korea reveals crypto exchange ‘Death Note’: DeFi investment booms

Bitcoin mining difficulty increases 13.2%

Bitcoin miners saw another mining difficulty adjustment on Wednesday night, with an increase of 13.24%, according to data from BTC.com. Fast facts The mining difficulty level is now at 17.62 trillion at block height 697,536, reflecting a 13.24% increase from the last adjustment, the data showed. The latest adjustment follows two increases after four consecutive […]

Chinese tech company Meitu reports $17M loss on Bitcoin holdings in 1H 2021

Meitu, a Hong Kong-listed Chinese technology company best known for its popular beauty apps, saw an RMB111,907, 000 (US$17.3 million) impairment loss on its Bitcoin holdings in the first six months of 2021, the company reported in its latest financial results. Fast facts According to Meitu’s Aug. 25 HKEX filing: “the decrease in fair value […]

Bitcoin ATM firms and Chainalysis form cooperative to protect public

Bitcoin ATM operators DigitalMint and Coinsource are joining blockchain analytics company Chainalysis to form the Cryptocurrency Compliance Cooperative (CCC). The mission of the CCC is to bolster compliance standards and protect consumers in the cash-to-cryptocurrency industry. Fast facts Leaders in the cash-to-crypto business say they are on the mission to create a safer environment for […]

Bitcoin bulls brace. CryptoPunks’ pulling power. China’s crypto lawfare.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Is another Bitcoin bull run coming soon? Punks rocking NFTs. Why crypto contracts may not be enforceable in China.

Dark web tool Antinalysis is back and openly available on the internet

The previous version of Antinalysis, which was based on the AMLBot API, was shut down but within a week it has respawned not just on the darknet but also on the clearnet.

Bitcoin miners may soon face tougher digging

As the crypto hashrate continues to recover, miners will likely have to work harder for their coins.

El Salvador rolls out 200 Bitcoin ATMs ahead of nationwide adoption

In preparation for El Salvador adopting Bitcoin as legal tender, the nation is rolling out 200 ATMs and preparing 50 bank branches across the nation to allow residents to exchange crypto for fiat easily, President Nayib Bukele has announced over the weekend via Twitter. Fast facts With El Salvador’s Bitcoin adoption bill coming into effect […]

Solana sees investment inflows of $7M, largest of any digital asset: CoinShares

After six consecutive weeks of outflows, institutional sentiment for digital assets is turning, with net inflows of US$21 million last week, according to CoinShares, Europe’s largest digital assets fund manager. Fast facts Total assets under management (AUM) across all digital asset fund providers rose to US$57.3 billion, the highest since mid-May, driven by the recent […]

Bitcoin price above $50K, Cardano and Solana at all-time highs as crypto market surges

Led by Ethereum rivals, crypto prices are in an upswing with over $2.1 trillion in total market cap. Is this the start of another crypto bull run?

Aussie tech entrepreneur offers Bitcoin to those vaccinated against Covid

Finder.com CEO Fred Schebesta is offering AU$5 (US$2.85) worth of Bitcoin to every Australian who is fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Fast facts Announcing the plan on Sydney radio this week, the self-made millionaire said he was looking for a way to contribute to the vaccination effort and thought this could be a way to help. […]

Blockchain investment goes green: Court says bitcoin legally protected

Blockchain investment goes green while Court says bitcoin legally protected

Shanghai court rules Bitcoin is virtual property, not currency

A district court in Shanghai has ruled that Bitcoin is virtual property, not a currency that is allowed to circulate, according to a statement released earlier this week. Fast facts A Minhang district court in Shanghai stated this week that it heard a case in which a plaintiff purchased Bitcoin mining machines from a defendant […]

El Salvador’s finance minister says Bitcoin is ‘totally optional’

In what will likely be a relief for many Salvadorans, El Salvador’s finance minister said the use of BTC will remain “totally optional” and businesses will not be sanctioned for not using it when the country’s controversial BTC law comes into effect on Sept. 7, reports Yahoo News. Fast facts The country’s adoption of BTC […]

Shutdown of dark web tool Antinalysis suggests harder times ahead for crypto criminals

Money laundering token tracer developed using AMLBot application programming interface was suspended within eight hours of public exposure.

Fitch warns El Salvador’s Bitcoin adoption will drag down credit rating

In another criticism of El Salvador’s planned Bitcoin adoption, global credit scoring agency Fitch Ratings has warned the move will likely adversely affect credit ratings of the country’s insurance sector, due to heightened foreign exchange and earnings volatility risk. Fast facts Fitch Ratings explained in a press release on Monday that once a law comes […]

Cardano sees inflows of $1.3M amid 6th week of outflows from crypto funds

Digital asset investment products saw outflows of US$22 million last week — the sixth consecutive week of outflows, according to CoinShares, Europe’s largest digital assets fund manager. Fast facts Total outflows for the past six weeks amount to US$115 million and mark the longest run of consecutive outflows since January 2018, CoinShares reported. However, the […]

Solana hits all time high: GoSats launches bitcoin reward card

Solana hits all time high as GoSats launches bitcoin reward card

Asia leads world in crypto investment, report says

Asian nations are leading the world in retail crypto investment, according to a recent report by Finder.com, which found that of 27 countries surveyed, the top five were all in Asia. Fast facts Vietnam was by far the leader in crypto adoption, with 41% of respondents saying they owned at least one cryptocurrency. Indonesia and […]

India gets Bitcoin rewards cards with backing from crypto-averse central bank

GoSats, an Indian Bitcoin rewards app, has launched a new cash back card that will allow Indians to earn up to 100% of their spending in Bitcoin and provide a chance to win one full Bitcoin on every spend, GoSats announced in a tweet. Fast facts The GoSats prepaid RuPay debit cards will be released […]

Argentinian president tangos with Bitcoin despite central bank warning

Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez has indicated he is open to adopting Bitcoin as legal tender and a central bank digital currency, according to a media report yesterday, just two days after the head of the country’s central bank, Miguel Pesce, described cryptocurrencies as a threat to economic stability. Fast facts During an interview with media outlet Caja […]

Total crypto market cap reaches $2 trillion again

The total market capitalization of cryptocurrencies has just broken the milestone of US$2 trillion for the first time since May, reflecting a bullish trend since earlier this month. Fast facts On Wednesday night Hong Kong time, the total crypto market cap reached US$2.007 trillion and stood at US$2.002 trillion on Thursday at noon, according to […]

Ethereum investment product market share rises to 26% amid fund outflows

Despite a recent recovery in crypto prices, digital asset investment products last week saw outflows of US$26 million, according to CoinShares, Europe’s largest digital asset fund manager. It was the fifth consecutive week in which institutional money flowed out of cryptocurrencies, mainly Bitcoin. Fast facts Bitcoin — the largest cryptocurrency by market value — bore […]

Bitcoin’s price rises above $45K as gold and silver slump

After hovering aroud the US$35,000 mark through most of June and July, Bitcoin’s price has started rising again this past month. In the past 24 hours, Bitcoin’s price broke US$45,000 for the first time since mid-May amid the market-wide crash from the historic highs in April, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Fast facts Conversely, gold […]

Unocoin now allows Indians to buy pizza, coffee with Bitcoin

Several cryptocurrency payment methods exist around the world, but new service is the first major one of its kind in India.

Indian Olympic medalists to get free cryptocurrencies

Indian athletes who have won medals at the Tokyo Olympics have been promised free cryptocurrencies by Indian crypto exchange Bitbns, according to a report by the Economic Times. Fast facts Bitbns will create systematic investment plans denominated in Bitcoin and Ethereum worth around US$2,695 for gold medalists, US$1,348 for silver medalists and US$674 for bronze […]

Mastercard partners with Australian exchange for crypto card

In a further move towards cryptocurrency adoption, Mastercard has partnered with one of Australia’s oldest crypto exchanges, CoinJar, to launch one of the country’s first crypto payment cards. Fast facts The card became available on Tuesday in a digital form through integration with Apple Pay and Google Pay, and will be available in a physical […]

Marathon Digital to buy more mining rigs from Bitmain

Nasdaq-listed Marathon Digital Holdings, one of the biggest Bitcoin mining companies in North America, has announced a deal to buy an additional 30,000 mining machines from Bitmain to boost its mining capacity. Fast facts Marathon has entered into a contract with Bitmain to purchase 30,000 Antminer S19j Pros worth a total of US$120.7 million, the […]

Miami prepares launch of city cryptocurrency

The city of Miami is set to launch its own cryptocurrency, MiamiCoin, tomorrow. The token will allow people to invest in the city to fund infrastructure projects and events, according to a report by Decrypt. Fast facts The token is being released in partnership with CityCoin, a project that facilitates cities releasing their own tokens […]

Square acquires Afterpay for $29B to expand into ‘buy now pay later’

Global payments giant Square — which recently made moves into decentralized finance — is acquiring Australian “buy now pay later” fintech company Afterpay for US$29 billion (AU$39 billion) to expand its range of services, according to a recent company press release. Fast facts The purchase will enable Square’s CashApp and Seller business units to offer […]

July 2021

How Wall Street’s ‘best-kept secret’ now fuels high cryptocurrency yields

Celsius Network CEO says crypto lenders are using Wall Street’s ‘safest’ business tactic to provide high interest rates to customers. What are the risks?

Bitcoin mining difficulty rising again as miners resettle and get back to work

The global Bitcoin hashrate is now on an uptrend as miners pushed out by China resettle on friendlier shores and resume investing big money in mining equipment.
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Is Bitcoin mining hot again? These crypto insiders think so

Despite China’s crackdowns on Bitcoin mining and growing consternation about crypto mining’s carbon footprint, some miners are betting big on a rosy future.

Amazon’s brush with Bitcoin. Robinhood IPO looms. Huobi backs out of Beijing.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Is Amazon taking up BTC? Robinhood’s share sale deserves scrutiny. Did Huobi jump or was it pushed?

Thailand telecoms firm to expand into Bitcoin mining

Jasmine Telecom Systems, a publicly-listed unit of Thai telecoms operator Jasmine International, is set to ride the Bitcoin mining wave, with plans to install tens of thousands of mining machines over the next few years. Fast facts JTS is kicking off plans to deploy 500 mining machines in a data center in the third quarter […]

Tesla reports $1.3B in Bitcoin holdings in Q2 2021

Electric carmaker Tesla on Monday reported that it held US$1.3 billion of Bitcoin, according to the company’s Q2 2021 financial results update. Fast facts There was no change to Tesla’s Bitcoin holdings from the previous quarter, but the company took a Bitcoin-related impairment hit of US$23 million due to the fall in Bitcoin prices, according […]

CoinShares: Multi-asset crypto investments see inflows amid outflows from Bitcoin and Ethereum

For the third consecutive week, digital asset investment products last week saw outflows — this time, to the tune of US$28 million, according to CoinShares, Europe’s largest digital assets fund manager. Bitcoin saw the majority of outflows, but multi-asset investment products remained positive with inflows of US$3.1 million. Fast facts Bitcoin investment products saw US$24 […]

The many benefits that blockchain can bring to the internet of things (IoT) | Part 3

Blockchain technology can make a big impact on the world we live in, according to authors Kosrow Dehnad and Joe Duncan. A prime example: Tesla’s driverless vehicles.
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Bitcoin price surges to almost $40K as Asia wakes to Amazon crypto reports

Led by traders in Asia, Bitcoin saw its biggest one-day gain in over a month amid speculation that Amazon is getting into crypto.

Clean-energy crypto mining ETF launches to put an ‘E’ in Bitcoin

As Bitcoin’s carbon footprint continues to make ESG investors uneasy, a new clean-energy crypto mining ETF aims to allay their environmental concerns.

Bitcoin’s promise of financial freedom still beckons, academic says

In a special Q&A, Yale-NUS College professor Andrew Bailey says the world’s oldest cryptocurrency has untapped potential to promote liberty, equality and justice around the world.

UK finance watchdog to spend £11M to warn young people off crypto investment

Britain’s financial crimes enforcement agency is set to launch a campaign costing £11 million (US$15.2 million) to warn young people about the risks of investing in cryptocurrencies.  Fast facts Financial Conduct Authority CEO Nikhil Rathi said social media users aged 18 to 30 would be the target audience. “As with the GameStop episode, more people see investment as […]

Square to build new Bitcoin DeFi platform, says CEO Jack Dorsey

CEO Jack Dorsey announced that his mobile payments company Square has created a new division dedicated to decentralized finance (DeFi) on Bitcoin. For now, Dorsey is referring to the new Square Bitcoin DeFi platform as TBD, having not yet decided on an official name.  Fast facts The DeFi space, which has grown exponentially over last […]

Software firm Meitu loses US$17.3M on Bitcoin

Higher value of Ether investments softens blow to value of Bitcoin holdings.

June 2021

Institutional investors appear to cool on Bitcoin, data suggest

Institutional demand for cryptocurrency appears to be slowing, according to a report by analytics company Glassnode.

South Korean crypto exchange Bithumb dismisses ‘listing fee’ claims

Bithumb — South Korea’s second-largest crypto exchange — has rubbished claims that it is charging token issuers fees to list their coins on its platform.

What kind of new regulation can help Australia become a global crypto hub?

Through tomorrow, a Senate committee is taking public comments on how best to make Australia into a global crypto leader and fintech hub.

Ethereum’s institutional outflows hit record US$50M, CoinShares data says

Ethereum is bearing the brunt of negative sentiment on crypto, with net outflows from institutional products related to the token hitting a record of US$50 million last week.

Mexican finance minister reiterates crypto ban after bank unveils Bitcoin plan

Mexico’s finance minister reiterated his country’s ban on cryptocurrencies on Monday, saying they are not legal tender and are not to be treated as currencies within the country
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Bitcoin hashrate falls to lowest in 22 months amid China mining clampdown

Bitcoin’s hashrate fell to 58.7971 exa hashes per second on Sunday — the lowest point since August 2019.

Lawmaker clarifies Paraguay won’t try to make Bitcoin legal tender

Lawmaker Carlos Rejala tamped down speculation that Paraguay might follow El Savador’s footsteps in making Bitcoin legal tender.

Bitcoin not ideal for cyber crime, says Filecoin Foundation chair

Bitcoin was recovered by the FBI from the Colonial Pipeline ransomware cyber criminals DarkSide, sparking privacy concerns around cryptocurrencies.

Crypto exchange Gemini buys carbon offsets, pledges carbon-neutrality

Crypto exchange Gemini has bought US$4 million in carbon credits to offset the environmental impact of its Bitcoin holdings

Bitcoin ETFs start trading on Brazil, Dubai stock exchanges

QR Capital’s Bitcoin exchange-traded fund — the first Bitcoin ETF in Latin America — has been listed on Brazil’s stock exchange.

Survey: 32% of novice traders only invested in crypto in past year

Nearly one in three novice traders reported making no traditional investments outside crypto over the past year, according to a survey published today by Overbit, a Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange. In contrast, 85.3% of professional traders reported diversifying their investment portfolios to stock, real estate or other traditional assets. Fast facts: The survey of 3,000 traders […]

Australian auction house begins accepting crypto for all items

Auction house Lloyds Auctions Australia has begun accepting cryptocurrency for all purchases on its marketplace.

Bitcoin: Follow the money. Titan goes Titan-ic. China’s footloose miners.

Top blockchain and cryptocurrency news: Bitcoin’s still winning. Titan’s troubles as a teachable moment. Beijing creates a crypto mining diaspora.

What lies ahead for CBDCs, Bitcoin and other digital currencies?

In a new report, Bank for International Settlements extols central bank digital currency (CBDC) as the future of money. Will CBDCs replace Bitcoin someday?

Bitcoin mining rig maker Canaan breaks ground in Kazakhstan

Canaan, one of the world’s biggest crypto mining rig makers, has launched its own crypto mining business in Kazakhstan.

Bitcoin price rebounds after falling below $30K for first time in 6 months

After a spate of bad news, Bitcoin’s price tumbled to its lowest level this year before climbing back up to $34,000. Where are BTC prices likely to go next?

Report: US cryptocurrency crimes surging by 300% a year

Crypto-related crime in the US increased an average of over 300% per year from 2017 to 2020with a total of 82,135 cases last year alone.

What is Ethereum, and could it become the future of blockchain?

Ethereum is much more than a cryptocurrency, and it has already attracted huge interest among investors. What’s all the fuss about? Forkast.News explains.

New crypto mining hot spots emerge; Korea crypto controversy escalates | The Daily Forkast

The next generation of mining hot spots are shaping out in the aftermath of China’s mining exodus as Upbit’s delisting generates new enemies.

Bearish crypto sentiment focused on Bitcoin, CoinShares says

Bitcoin is in its sixth consecutive week of institutional outflows, with US$89 million exiting the coin, according to a weekly fund flows report.

Sotheby’s will accept Bitcoin and Ether for 101-carat diamond auction

Sotheby’s has announced it will be accepting cryptocurrency as payment in an upcoming auction for a 101.38-carat diamond with flawless clarity.

Bitcoin and Ethereum prices fall: Is the crypto market in an over-leveraged bubble?

Against a backdrop of El Salvador’s BTC boosts, famed investor Michael Burry warns about a crypto price bubble and China intensifies its crypto clampdown.

Iran bans blockchain association, citing regulatory breaches

Iran’s interior ministry has suspended the Iran Blockchain Association over alleged breaches of government regulations.

CoinShares partners with Germany’s Finanzen Zero on crypto ETPs

European digital asset manager CoinShares hasannounced a partnership with German financial news portal Finanzen.net to bring crypto exchange traded products to investors with no trading fees.