U.S.

Andrew Webber of Digital Power Optimization says more renewable energy would get built “if it was more profitable” and that’s where Bitcoin mining can help.

Bitcoin gained 2.18% in 24 hours while Ether rose 1.67%.

The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden is campaigning for a tax on cryptocurrency miners equal to 30% of the cost of the power they use, citing what it calls “negative spillovers” from the industry.

CFTC and SEC disagree over whether cryptocurrencies are securities, and two big lawsuits clouding the industry’s future invoke laws that long predate the digital era.

The current US approach to regulating crypto flies against its history of supporting tech innovation and undermines its own national interest, writes Hamilton Keats of Krayon Digital.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Coinbase in court to force SEC’s hand. PEPE surge lifts memecoin mood. China paves CBDC path with payroll.

The lack of clarity in crypto rules in the U.S. not only affects exchanges but also this U.S.-based blockchain gaming company, John Linden said.

Binance.US, a cryptocurrency exchange set up by Binance chief Changpeng Zhao to serve U.S. clients, has pulled out of a US$1.3 billion deal to buy bankrupt crypto lender Voyager Digital, the company said Tuesday, citing a lack of clear regulations in the country for the crypto industry.

Russia is now the second largest Bitcoin miner after the U.S., according to a report by Russian media Kommersant. 

Bitcoin extended losses in Monday afternoon trade in Asia, along with all top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, with Solana and Polygon as the biggest losers.

Top blockchain and crypto news: Bittrex in SEC line of fire. Bored Apes fall after whale sale. Chinese banks court crypto clients.

Shares of Singapore-based cryptocurrency miner Bitdeer have slid more than 35% since their Nasdaq debut on April 14, and were trading at US$6.41 at closing on Wednesday.

Bitcoin rose and traded above US$30,000 on Wednesday afternoon in Asia, while Ether fell along with most top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Solana lost the most, followed by Binance’s BNB token.

Bitcoin dropped on Monday afternoon in Asia and continued to trade below US$30,000. Cardano led losers among top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies in a mixed market. Solana led gains, followed by Binance’s BNB token and memecoin Dogecoin.

Seattle-based crypto exchange Bittrex Inc. has rejected charges by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it and co-founder Bill Shihara operated an unregistered national securities exchange, broker and clearing agency. The SEC filed the charges on Monday. See related article: U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex lays off 83 employees Fast facts See related article: U.S. SEC […]

The U.S. House Financial Services Committee is set to hold a hearing on April 19 to discuss a draft bill released over the weekend on regulating stablecoins, a class of digital currency designed to offer price stability by being pegged to another asset’s value.

SEC member Hester Peirce has criticized the regulatory agency for its proposal that seeks to expand the definition of an “exchange” to DeFi platforms.

As part of its February settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the U.S.-based Kraken crypto exchange has submitted the largest Ether withdrawal request since Wednesday’s upgrade to the Ethereum blockchain. The SEC ordered Kraken to shut down what it called unregistered staking programs.

NYDFS superintendent Harris called the idea of Operation Choke Point 2.0 “ludicrous,” but industry participants largely disagree. Was the shutdown of the three largest crypto-friendly institutions a coordinated effort to unbank crypto?

Bitcoin slipped in Wednesday afternoon trade in Asia but remained above the US$30,000 mark. Ether prices sank, along with all top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, with Cardano and Dogecoin as the biggest losers.

Adam Sullivan, whose most recent role was managing director of XMS Capital Partners, will will work on financial and strategic matters while assisting with the negotiation of a reorganization plan.

Bitcoin continued to rally past US$30,000, with Ether and all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies gaining in Tuesday afternoon trade in Asia. Solana was the biggest gainer at 11.09%.

The U.S. SEC Investor Advisory Committee urged the federal agency to continue its aggressive enforcement on crypto players that offer unregistered securities.

Bitcoin and Ether rose in Monday afternoon trade in Asia, along with most other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

Arkansas has joined Montana and Texas this year in proposing legislation to offer legal protections to companies operating crypto mining sites.

Bitcoin remained above US$28,000 in Wednesday trade in Asia. Ether made the most gains as the top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization increased, except Dogecoin.

Americans spend more than US$12 billion in remittance fees each year when sending money to family and friends living overseas using the traditional financial system. However, overseas remittances using Bitcoin and Ethereum cost 96.7% less, according to research by Coinbase.

Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, recovered to trade above US$28,000 on Tuesday afternoon in Asia.

The Philippines has licensing requirements and proactively monitors crypto firms, while the US regulates by enforcement only after consumers are already badly hurt, writes Robert De Guzman of Coins.ph.

U.S.-based Bitcoin miner TeraWulf, which started operations in March last year, reported a 146% surge in revenue in the fourth quarter of last year compared to the previous quarter, citing expanded mining capacity. 

Bitcoin and Ether continued to fall in Tuesday afternoon trade in Asia, along with most other top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, after regulators in the U.S. pulled up Binance, the world’s biggest crypto exchange, for allegedly violating trading mandates.

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao said the charges are “an unexpected and disappointing civil complaint” in response to the CFTC lawsuit filed on Monday against him and the world’s largest crypto exchange.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has warned Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the U.S., it may face legal charges related to staking services and digital asset listings.

The IRS intends to tax NFTs as collectibles in the U.S. and is soliciting public opinions on the proposal through June.

Bitcoin and Ether fell in Tuesday afternoon trade in Asia after rallying through the past week, while financial authorities injected cash into markets to ease liquidity pressures and took other steps to address concerns over a banking sector crisis in the U.S. and Europe. 

The fall of Silvergate, SVB and Signature has left crypto firms scrambling for new banks. Will crypto banking head offshore for the long term?

New York Community Bancorp will assume all deposits and certain loan portfolios of the failed Signature Bank, the FDIC said on Sunday.

As bank after bank topples, fingers are pointing everywhere. But crypto is not to be blamed for this unfolding crisis, writes Winston Hsiao of XREX.

Guo Wengui, an exiled Chinese billionaire, was arrested in New York on Wednesday for allegedly orchestrating a more than US$1 billion fraud conspiracy that included cryptocurrency, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). See related article: U.S. banking regulators warn against cryptocurrency fraud, contagion risks Fast facts […]

A deal valued at over US$1 billion between Binance.US and Voyager should be put on hold while key legal objections are worked out, says U.S. government.

The decision to shut down Signature Bank at the weekend was not related to cryptocurrencies, the New York regulator told Reuters on Tuesday.

As the U.S. tries to head off a bank run, crypto is quickly running out of places to bank with.

Circle said its $3.3 billion of USDC cash reserves at the collapsed Silicon Valley Bank will be available Monday after regulators stepped in to backstop deposits.

The NY State Attorney General is suing crypto exchange Kucoin for not registering as a securities and commodities broker-dealer and calling itself an exchange.

The U.S. has proposed an excise tax on cryptocurrency miners equal to 30 percent of the cost of the electricity they use.

Contagion, regulation worries grow after crypto bank’s demise

Stablecoins could have a place in the U.S. financial services sector if appropriate regulation is put in place, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said on Tuesday at a hearing before Congress.

A crypto tech firm and three of its executives have been indicted for allegedly operating unlicensed Bitcoin ATMs in the U.S. that profited from scams.

A U.S. central bank digital currency would “crowd out” the cryptocurrency ecosystem and protect national security, according to an ex-top presidential adviser.

It remains unclear whether the U.S. SEC’s enforcement action against cryptocurrency exchange Kraken represents a broader crackdown on staking, according to Timothy Massad, former Commodity Futures Trading Commission chairman.

Binance expects to pay to settle U.S. authorities’ investigations into its business and past crypto offerings, according to its chief strategy officer.

The cryptocurrency industry faced criticism during a Senate committee meeting on Tuesday entitled “Crypto Crash: Why Financial System Safeguards are Needed for Digital Assets.”

The current payment system relied on by truck drivers runs through third parties and adds costs to supply chains and consumers. Could blockchain tech provide an alternative, and would truckers trust it?

Mastermind of the EminiFX fraud has pleaded guilty to soliciting investments worth more than US$248 million from tens of thousands of investors, says US DOJ.

Top blockchain and crypto news: GOPAX deal sees Binance return to South Korea. Inflation fight spooks crypto markets. Chinese liquor giant gives cheers to NFTs.

U.S. prosecutors are investigating California-based cryptocurrency bank Silvergate Capital Corp. for how it handled accounts tied to now-bankrupt crypto exchange FTX and its brokerage arm Alameda Research, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The future global financial system will be reliant on the cloud, especially when it comes to CBDCs and stablecoins, writes Michael Greenwald and Logan Weber.

The FBI and the DOJ have concluded a month-long disruption campaign against the Hive ransomware group, preventing victims from having to pay US $130 million.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury that combats financial crimes, has named Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, as one of the top three receiving counterparties of Bitzlato Ltd. 

Bitcoin and Ether rose in Thursday afternoon trading in Asia, along with all other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies, as investors anticipate signs of slower inflation in the upcoming Thursday release of the U.S. Consumer Price Index for December.

U.S. prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have started to investigate cryptocurrency-focused conglomerate Digital Currency Group (DCG), Bloomberg reported on Saturday, citing unnamed sources.

The U.S. Federal Reserve, FDIC and the OCC have issued a joint statement to warn banks of the risks with crypto assets.

In times of market volatility, regulation can restore confidence and public trust in crypto, writes Albert Isola, Gibraltar’s minister for digital and financial services.

The Bitcoin network hashrate has dropped by more than 38.8% from its peak on Wednesday, as many U.S.-based miners have been forced to switch down their facilities due to deadly blizzards. See related article: British Columbia suspends new electricity connections for crypto miners Fast facts See related article: Bitcoin mining difficulty rises 3.27% in latest […]

Core Scientific said it may sell some of its mining facilities under development that could be worth up to a gigawatt of power after it filed for bankruptcy protection.

Top blockchain and crypto news: US senators push for crypto KYC. SBF faces the music in US courts. Alibaba Cloud to launch blockchain node.

Sam Bankman-Fried has reportedly made a second application for bail in the Bahamas – this as lawyers feud over control of the FTX bankruptcy, raising concern the sour grapes may seep into efforts to have Bankman-Fried extradited to face fraud charges in the U.S.

As U.S. prosecutors line up charges against Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the collapsed FTX cryptocurrency exchange, Senator Elizabeth Warren is seeking to pass bipartisan regulation to rein in the “dark underbelly” of the crypto industry.

SBF was arrested by Bahamian authorities just a day before he was due to testify before Congress – but his successor has been revealing much about FTX’s collapse.

Top blockchain and crypto news: SBF denied bail, US extradition likely next. The Block chief quits over secret FTX loans. Hong Kong readies digital asset rules.

Members of a U.S. Congressional hearing expressed frustration about the timing of Bankman-Fried’s arrest, saying they wanted him to testify under oath so the public could get the answers they are seeking about the collapse of FTX.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has advised publicly-listed firms to disclose their exposure to the cryptocurrency market, in light of the fallout of the FTX collapse.