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Showing posts from August, 2022

Iranian Government Approves ‘Comprehensive and Detailed’ Crypto Regulations

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The government of Iran has finalized a set of cryptocurrency regulations. A “comprehensive and detailed” law ratified by the administration provides a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency, including their authorized usage and crypto mining, a government official reportedly said. Iran Finalizes Crypto Regulations The Iranian government has evaluated all issues relating to cryptocurrencies and approved a set of cryptocurrency regulations, Reza Fatemi-Amin, the minister of Industry, Mines, and Trade, told reporters at the conclusion of an automotive industry event in Tehran Sunday. He explained that the government has ratified a “comprehensive and detailed” law that defines cryptocurrency regulations, including the use of fuel and electricity for crypto mining and the authorized uses of cryptocurrencies, Tasnim news agency conveyed. The minister added that under an agreement between his ministry and the central bank of Iran, cryptocurrency can be used to pay for imports. He additi

Elon Musk Outlines New Reasons to End Twitter Deal Citing Whistleblower

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk has outlined new reasons to terminate the $44 billion deal to buy Twitter in a new filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Citing a whistleblower report, Musk’s lawyer said the allegations, known to the social media giant but undisclosed to Musk, indicate “far-reaching misconduct at Twitter.” Elon Musk Presents More Reasons to Terminate Twitter Deal in New SEC Filing Tesla CEO Elon Musk has found more reasons to terminate his $44 billion offer to buy Twitter Inc. Musk’s lawyer filed a letter he sent to Twitter with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Monday to provide additional notice of termination of the agreement. Musk officially terminated his offer to buy Twitter on July 8. Twitter subsequently sued the Spacex boss to force him to close the deal, prompting Musk to countersue the social media giant. In the letter sent to Twitter Chief Legal Officer Vijaya Gadde, Musk’s lawyer detailed: Allegations regarding certain

Mad Money’s Jim Cramer Recommends Avoiding Crypto, Other Speculative Investments

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The host of Mad Money, Jim Cramer, has advised investors to avoid cryptocurrency and other speculative investments. “Don’t get memed. Don’t get SPAC’d. Don’t get crypto’d,” Cramer stressed, warning of “a giant washout of all things that are speculative.” Jim Cramer Advises Investors to Avoid Crypto The host of CNBC’s Mad Money show, Jim Cramer, offered some advice Tuesday regarding what to invest in the current market condition. Cramer is a former hedge fund manager who co-founded Thestreet.com, a financial news and literacy website. The Mad Money host has urged investors to stay away from speculative assets including cryptocurrencies. He warned that these investments will struggle as the Federal Reserve continues its hawkish stance to combat inflation. “Look, Fed chief Jay Powell told us that we need to stop doing stupid things with our money. That was the thrust of his speech on Friday,” Cramer said, referring to Powell’s speech in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The central banker warne

Bitcoin Beach to Receive More Than $203 Million in Infrastructure Investments in El Salvador

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El Zonte, a beach in El Salvador rebaptized as “Bitcoin Beach” due to its adoption of the cryptocurrency, will receive infrastructure investments as part of a strategic plan of the government of El Salvador. Surf City, another beach location in the La Libertad region, will also receive road improvements and other upgrades. ‘Bitcoin Beach’ to Benefit From Infrastructure Investments Bitcoin Beach, a beach in El Zonte, El Salvador, is getting a set of infrastructure upgrades from the country’s government. The beach is iconic due to its adoption of bitcoin to build a circular economy in the area. These investments will be directed toward building a new set of facilities for tourists to better enjoy the location. Regarding the execution of these investments, President Nayib Bukele stated : El Zonte for many is known as Bitcoin Beach; we are going to fix an area of 15,000 square meters, where there will be a shopping center, parking, beach club, treatment plant, to revitalize the area

JPMorgan Advises Investors to Sell Crypto, Buy Value Stocks — Says the Fed Overestimates Strength of US Economy

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The chief global strategist of JPMorgan Asset Management has advised investors to focus on valuations, invest in value stocks, sell crypto, and steer clear of bitcoin. “The Federal Reserve is overestimating the strength of the U.S. economy as it feels guilty about the fact that inflation went up under their watch,” he said. JPMorgan Strategist’s Recommendations JPMorgan Asset Management’s chief global strategist, David Kelly, has some advice about what investors who are worried about a hawkish Federal Reserve should invest in. Following the speech by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell Friday at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, he was quoted as saying : The economy has got one foot into a recession and the other on the banana peel now. “We are taking forceful and rapid steps to moderate demand so that it comes into better alignment with supply, and to keep inflation expectations anchored. We will keep at it until we are confident the job is done,” Powell said last week. Warning of m

Nigerian Central Bank Slashes CBDC Transaction Fees by 50%

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The Central Bank of Nigeria has said it is slashing transaction fees for the e-naira platform by 50% — a move which the bank claims will increase the volume of transactions on the central bank digital currency (CBDC) platform. The central bank also believes that wider adoption of the CBDC will bolster Nigeria’s cross-border trade volumes. Boosting E-Commerce Transaction Volumes In yet another move aimed at boosting the embrace and adoption of the e-naira central bank digital currency (CBDC), the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN) reportedly said it will slash the service fees incurred by individuals and merchants using the digital currency platform by 50%. In addition, Nigerian businesses signing on to become e-naira merchants have an opportunity to increase the volumes of their respective e-commerce transactions by 50%, a report has said. Quoting Kingsley Obiora, the central bank’s deputy governor, a Daily Trust report suggests that Nigerian businesses adopting the CBDC could improv

Goldman Sachs Urges Investors to Buy Commodities Now — Expects Equities to Suffer as Inflation Stays Elevated

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Global investment bank Goldman Sachs has urged investors to buy commodities now and worry about a recession later. The firm’s analysts see commodities as “the best asset class to own during a late-cycle phase where demand remains above supply.” Meanwhile, “equities could suffer as inflation stays elevated and the Fed is more likely to surprise on the hawkish side,” Goldman noted. Goldman Sachs’ Recommendation: Buy Commodities Now Global investment bank Goldman Sachs has recommended investors buy commodities. In a note titled “Buy commodities now, worry about the recession later,” published Monday, Goldman wrote: “Our economists view the risk of a recession outside Europe in the next 12 months as relatively low.” The firm’s analysts, including Sabine Schels, Jeffrey Currie, and Damien Courvalin, explained: With oil the commodity of last resort in an era of severe energy shortages, we believe the pullback in the entire oil complex provides an attractive entry point for long-only inv

Onchain Ethereum Fees Remain Low Ahead of the Merge, 4 L2 Networks Offer Transfers Below a Nickel

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With just over two weeks until The Merge, Ethereum network fees have reduced significantly as the average ethereum transfer fee has dropped to 0.00092 ether or $1.37 per transaction on August 28. Median-sized fees have slid to 0.00036 ether or $0.544 per transfer, and etherscan.io’s gas tracking tool notes a priority fee will cost 11 gwei or $0.34 to get a transaction confirmed in roughly 30 seconds. Ethereum’s Onchain Transfer Cost Remains Low, L2 Transfer and Swap Fees Are Still Cheaper On August 16, the Ethereum Foundation updated a previously published blog post in order to make it clear that The Merge would not reduce gas fees and improve throughput. While The Merge is a little more than two weeks away , Ethereum gas fees have been far less expensive than they were before mid-June. At that time, in the middle of June, Ethereum’s average gas fees started to drop lower from $3.86 per transaction to 0.00086 ether or $1.46 per transfer during the first week of August. Gas fees

Bank of Russia Eases Restrictions on Purchases of Dollar and Euro Cash

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The Central Bank of Russia has relaxed some limitations for Russian banks selling U.S. dollars and euros to the public. The increased supply of foreign cash may affect the crypto market in the country as currency restrictions have been a driver of increased demand for digital coins. Monetary Authority of Russia Expands Citizens’ Access to Foreign Cash The Central Bank of the Russian Federation ( CBR ) has lifted one of the restrictions on the sale of U.S. dollars and euros in cash to private individuals imposed amid Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine, the Interfax news agency reported. Until recently, Russians could buy only dollars and euros sold to the banks at their cash desks after April 9, 2022, by other physical persons. Now the CBR has allowed Russian lenders to sell the two convertible currencies if they are also obtained from other sources. The regulator explained that these may include transactions with non-resident banks as well as foreign cash deposited by Russi

Latvian Extradited to US for Wire Fraud Involving Crypto Investments

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A Latvian national has been handed over to the United States where he is accused of fraud through several companies offering false crypto investment opportunities. Ivars Auzins will appear in a federal court in Brooklyn to face multiple charges of wire and securities fraud. Latvian Authorities Transfer Alleged Crypto Fraudster to US Custody Ivars Auzins, a citizen of the small Baltic nation of Latvia, was extradited to the United States on Friday. The Latvian has been handed over to the American judiciary on a six-count indictment charging him with wire fraud, securities fraud, and conspiracies to commit wire and securities fraud in connection with the operation of eight businesses that purported to offer, invest in, or mine digital assets. Auzins will be arraigned on the indictment on Saturday in a federal court in Brooklyn before the Honorable Roanne L. Mann., the U.S. Department of Justice said in a press release. The charges were announced by United States Attorney for the East

Binance to Help South Korean City of Busan Grow Crypto Adoption, Develop Blockchain Ecosystem

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Binance is helping the South Korean city of Busan “grow crypto adoption within the city and beyond.” The global crypto exchange will also support the development of the city’s blockchain ecosystem and the Busan Digital Asset Exchange. Binance Signs MOU With Busan City Cryptocurrency exchange Binance announced Friday that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Busan Metropolitan City. Busan, located on the southeastern tip of the Korean peninsula, is the second largest city in South Korea with approximately 3.4 million residents. “As part of the agreement, the city of Busan will receive technological and infrastructure support from Binance for the development of the city’s blockchain ecosystem and promotion of the Busan Digital Asset Exchange,” Binance explained. “Another form of cooperation between the two parties will be order book sharing,” the company added, noting that it will be establishing a presence in Busan by the end of the year. Binance CEO Changpeng Zh

SEC Probes Twitter Over Spam Accounts — Court Orders the Social Media Giant to Provide Additional Data to Elon Musk

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Twitter Inc. has been ordered to provide additional data relating to spam and bot accounts to Elon Musk. The social media giant has sued the Tesla CEO for terminating his $44 billion offer to buy the social media platform. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has also questioned Twitter about the number of spam accounts. Court Orders Twitter to Give Additional Data to Elon Musk Chancellor Kathaleen St. J. McCormick, a judge on the Delaware Court of Chancery, signed an order Thursday requiring Twitter Inc. (NYSE: TWTR) to provide additional data to Tesla and Spacex CEO Elon Musk. Plaintiff Twitter has sued defendants Musk and his two companies, X Holdings I and X Holdings II, for terminating the $44 billion deal to buy the social media platform. Musk has countersued Twitter. Judge McCormick stated in her order: Defendants’ data requests are absolutely abroad. She added: “Read literally, Defendants’ documents request would require Plaintiff to produce trillions upo

Gas-to-Bitcoin Firm Crusoe Energy Sues Rival Alkane Midstream Over Patent Infringement

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The Denver-based gas-to-bitcoin infrastructure company Crusoe Energy is suing the rival firm Alkane Midstream LLC over alleged patent infringement and poaching customers in Colorado. Crusoe’s lawsuit claims since November 2019, “Alkane was actively monitoring Crusoe and its business.” Crypto Flare Mitigation Company Crusoe Files a Lawsuit Against the Texas-Based Alkane Midstream Gas-to-bitcoin flare mitigation company Crusoe Energy filed a lawsuit against the company Alkane Midstream on August 22, 2022. The gas-to-bitcoin infrastructure firm is asking the Denver division of Colorado’s federal court to order Alkane to stop infringing on two patents. The lawsuit obtained by Bitcoin.com News also claims Alkane caused Crusoe to lose work after two gas and oil refiners backed away from agreements made with the company in November 2021. The two gas and oil producers are called the “Colorado Producers,” and are not officially named in the lawsuit filed against Alkane. “Alkane has infri

Report Claims Russia and Iran Plan to Establish a Global Gas Cartel, Moscow to Launch Its Own Precious Metals Exchange

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Following Russian president Vladimir Putin’s statements at the end of June that indicated members of the BRICS nations have formalized plans to create a new “international reserve currency,” Russia is reportedly building the foundations of a global gas cartel with Iran. Financial journalist and best-selling author Simon Watkins claims the “alliance aims to control as much of the two key elements in the global supply matrix as possible.” At the same time, Russia intends to create a precious metals exchange called the Moscow World Standard (MWS). US Dollar and Ruble Remain Robust, Massive Commodity Price Spike ‘Hurt the European Economy the Most’ Last week economists from the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia noted that the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) decline would be a lot less than previously estimated. Furthermore, Russian president Vladimir Putin once again criticized the United States and stressed the U.S. needs “conflicts to retain their hegemony.” Amid the

Bitcoin, Ethereum Technical Analysis: BTC, ETH Drop as Key Resistance Levels Hold

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Bitcoin fell lower on Friday, as the token slipped below a key resistance level during today’s session. Following a mini rally in price this week, bitcoin bears returned to action, as volatility in the market increased. Ethereum was also lower, falling back below $1,700. Bitcoin Following a mini rally this week, bitcoin ( BTC ), was back in the red on Friday, as the token slipped below a key resistance point. The world’s largest cryptocurrency fell to an intraday low of $21,171.79, which is nearly $600 lower than Thursday’s high at $21,744.87. Today’s decline comes as market sentiment once again shifted to bearish territory, following a breakout attempt at the $21,600 price ceiling. Although BTC /USD did marginally climb beyond that point, bulls opted not to maintain earlier positions, choosing to secure gains instead. This was a signal to bears, who reentered the market, and now look set to send bitcoin closer to a floor at $20,800. As of writing, there is slight hope that tod

Nigerian BTC Peer-to-Peer Volumes Nearly $400M in H1 of 2022 — Significant Growth in Kenya and Ghana Volumes

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Nigeria’s peer-to-peer bitcoin traded volumes of over $1.1 billion between January 2021 and June 2022 mean the West African nation is now Paxful’s largest market. Kenya, which saw traded volumes of over $325 million during the same period, now ranks as the crypto exchange’s second-largest African market, and fifth overall. Financial Exclusion Driving P2P Bitcoin Traded Volumes According to the latest data from the peer-to-peer crypto exchange platform Paxful, Nigeria’s bitcoin traded volumes in the first half of 2022 nearly topped $400 million. When combined with the $760 million in trade volumes which were seen in 2021, it means the West African nation is now the crypto exchange’s biggest market globally. Nigeria’s growing volume of bitcoin traded via the peer-to-peer (P2P) exchange comes at a time when regulators are clamping down on financial institutions that are violating the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s February 5, 2021 directive . The directive bars banks and other regula

Crypto Miners in Russia’s Irkutsk Region Fined Almost $1.7 Million This Year

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Authorities in the energy-rich Russian region of Irkutsk have imposed hefty fines on crypto miners this year for illegal use of electricity to produce digital currencies. Power utilities have also filed hundreds of lawsuits, a report reveals, quoting prosecutors. Irkutsk Crypto Miners Pay 100 Million Rubles in Fines in 2022 Cryptocurrency mining has become a profitable business for many companies in Russia’s energy-rich regions, and an alternative income source for ordinary Russians. Despite the generally low rates of electricity for commercial purposes, many have been tempted to mint digital coins on cheaper household power or even stolen energy. Authorities in Irkutsk, a Siberian oblast with abundant energy resources where rates start as low as $0.01 per kWh in rural districts, have been going after illegal mining operations. The latter have caused a spike in consumption in both residential and industrial areas, allegedly leading to frequent breakdowns and outages across the re

9,404 Crypto Mining Devices Seized by Iranian Authorities Since March

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Iranian authorities have seized nearly 10,000 illegal cryptocurrency mining devices since March. According to reports, many of the seized crypto mining rigs were operating in public locations that receive free or heavily-subsidized electricity, such as schools and mosques. Iran Confiscates Nearly 10K Crypto Mining Devices Kambiz Nazerian, head of Tehran Electricity Distribution Company, said Monday that Iranian authorities have discovered and seized 9,404 illegal cryptocurrency mining devices in Tehran since the beginning of the Persian calendar year which started on March 21, local media reported. He explained that the mining equipment was discovered by inspectors in different districts of the Iranian capital. Iranian authorities have regularly announced the discovery of illegal cryptocurrency mining machines in different parts of the country over recent years. Many of these unauthorized cryptocurrency mining operations were based in public locations, such as schools and mosques,

Largest Southeast Asian Bank DBS Sees Crypto Trading Volumes Soar as Investors Bought the Dip

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DBS, the largest bank in Southeast Asia, says that it has benefited from the recent crypto market sell-off. The trading volume of its crypto exchange nearly doubled in July, compared to April. The quantity of bitcoin bought on its exchange grew nearly four times during that time period. DBS Crypto Customers Bought the Dip DBS, the largest bank in Southeast Asia by assets, announced Monday that DBS Digital Exchange (Ddex) has benefited as crypto investors sought safety amid market volatility. DBS, headquartered and listed in Singapore, has a presence in 18 markets. “With the digital asset industry experiencing unprecedented volatility … DBS’ digital asset ecosystem has been a beneficiary of this flight to safety,” the bank detailed, elaborating: Investors who believe in the long-term prospects of digital assets are gravitating towards trusted and regulated platforms to access the digital asset market. As investors bought the dip, the total number of trades executed on Ddex in Ju

SEC Chairman Says Crypto Should Be Treated Same as Other Capital Markets

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SEC Chairman Gary Gensler says that there is no need to treat the crypto market differently from other capital markets. Noting that “the SEC will serve as the cop on the beat,” Gensler encouraged crypto trading and lending platforms “to come in and talk to SEC staff.” SEC Chairman Gensler on Crypto Regulation The chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gary Gensler, authored an opinion piece published in the Wall Street Journal Friday on how crypto assets should be regulated. He described: There’s no reason to treat the crypto market differently from the rest of the capital markets just because it uses a different technology. “Recent market events show why it is critical that crypto firms comply with securities laws,” Gensler explained. “In recent months, some crypto lending platforms have frozen their investors’ accounts or gone bankrupt. When it comes to bankruptcy, these investors have to get in line at the court.” The SEC chief stressed that no matter

Phemex Mobile App: A One-Stop Shop for All Your Crypto Trading Needs

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As a crypto trader, you have to be on your toes. From checking market conditions to tracking your portfolio, there are many things to keep track of. Whether a newbie or a pro, it’s essential to pick a reliable and user-friendly platform to help you make informed decisions from the get-go and on the go. Introducing Phemex , an all-in-one cryptocurrency trading and digital asset investment platform. From advanced features to 24/7 customer support, Phemex has everything you need to make the most out of your portfolio. In this Phemex article, we’ll look at all the features that make this platform stand out from the rest. We’ll also see how it could help you take your trading game up a notch! Phemex Mobile App Features The Phemex Mobile App offers everything a crypto trader needs, all in one place. The user interface is clean and easy to navigate, making it easy for anyone to get started with the platform. It allows you to seamlessly place orders with a single button, accessible fr