BITCOIN

A draft law devoted to the digital ruble has been filed with the State Duma, the lower house of Russian parliament. The legislation introduces rules determining how the new form of national fiat will be issued and amends a series of legal acts to facilitate its implementation. Bank of Russia to Be the Sole Operator of the Digital Ruble Platform A group of Russian lawmakers, led by the Chairman of the Financial Market Committee Anatoly Aksakov, have submitted draft legislation on the digital ruble, the central bank digital currency ( CBDC ) minted by Russia’s monetary authority. The document suggests legislative changes meant to create the conditions for its introduction. According to the explanatory notes to the bill, quoted by the crypto page of the Russian business news portal RBC, its main purpose is to develop the necessary payment infrastructure for the digital ruble. This, the sponsors believe, would provide Russian citizens, businesses, and the state with access to fast, con

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) says one of the priorities for the G20 under India’s presidency is to “develop a framework for global regulation, including the possibility of prohibition, of unbacked crypto assets, stablecoins, and defi.” The Indian central bank warned that “turmoil in crypto assets market” is among “the major risks that can potentially undermine global financial stability.” Indian Central Bank on Crypto Regulation India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), released its Financial Stability Report (FSR) for December on Thursday. The 172-page report includes discussions on crypto assets, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), and decentralized finance (defi). “Regulating new technology and business models after they have grown to a systemic level is challenging,” the RBI report states. “To promote responsible innovation and to mitigate financial stability risks in crypto ecosystem, it is vital for policymakers to design an appropriate policy approach.”

The famous author of the best-selling book Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, has revealed why he is buying more bitcoin. He warned that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations will “crush” most other cryptocurrencies. Robert Kiyosaki Buys More Bitcoin, Warns About SEC Regulations Crushing Crypto Tokens The author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, has revealed the key reason why he is investing in bitcoin. The famous author warned that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will “crush” most other crypto tokens with its regulations. Rich Dad Poor Dad is a 1997 book co-authored by Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. It has been on the New York Times Best Seller List for over six years. More than 32 million copies of the book have been sold in over 51 languages across more than 109 countries. Kiyosaki tweeted Friday that he is investing in bitcoin. He explained that he is “very excited” about BTC because the cryptocurrency “is classified as a commodity much li

BMW, the luxury car manufacturer, has partnered with Coinweb, a decentralized blockchain layer 2-based company, to introduce blockchain-based tools to its operations. The company will develop blockchain-based automation for vehicle financing processes, and also a rewards program for customers of the automotive company adapted to compliance processes in Thailand. BMW to Introduce Blockchain to Its Operations More companies are introducing blockchain processes as part of their operations due to the ostensible reliability of the tech and how it can help save on costs. On Dec. 29, BMW, the German car manufacturer, announced a partnership with Coinweb, a layer 2 (L2) blockchain interoperability protocol, to introduce blockchain-based processes to its operations. This alliance contemplates two different tasks. The first includes the development of a smart contracts platform with the objective of streamlining different processes that need to be completed for the financing of BMW-branded

Fidelity Investments, a major financial services firm with $10 trillion in assets under administration, has filed several trademark applications for a wide range of cryptocurrency, non-fungible token (NFT), and metaverse products and services. Fidelity’s Crypto and Metaverse Trademark Applications Fidelity Investments filed three trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) last week for a wide range of cryptocurrency, non-fungible token (NFT), and metaverse products and services. Fidelity has $9.6 trillion in assets under administration as of Sept. 30; the financial services firm serves about 40 million individual investors. Mike Kondoudis, a USPTO-licensed trademark attorney, tweeted Monday: Fidelity has plans for the metaverse! The company has filed 3 trademark applications covering NFTs + NFT marketplaces, metaverse investment services, virtual real estate investing, cryptocurrency trading, and more. The financial services giant’s tradem

The Securities Commission of the Bahamas has revealed that it seized digital assets worth more than $3.5 billion from the collapsed crypto exchange FTX. The regulator explained that the cryptocurrencies were transferred to its wallets “for safekeeping” and “are being held by the Commission on a temporary basis.” Bahamas Regulator Seizes FTX’s Cryptocurrencies The Securities Commission of the Bahamas (SCB) said Thursday that it has obtained a court order to transfer the digital assets owned by, or under the custody or control of, FTX Digital Markets Ltd. (FTXDM) to its secure wallets. FTX Digital Markets is the Bahamian subsidiary of Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX Trading Ltd., which owned and operated the crypto trading platform FTX.com. The regulator wrote that on Nov. 12: The Commission … took the action of directing the transfer of all digital assets under the custody or control of FTXDM or its principals, valued at more than US$3.5 billion, based on market pricing at the time of tra

According to an analyst on Dec. 29, 2022, the disgraced co-founder of FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), may have cashed out $684,000 in crypto assets while under house arrest. If the funds were spent by SBF, it goes against the court’s release conditions that note the former FTX executive is not allowed to spend more than $1,000 without permission from the court. Analyst Discovers Funds Tied to SBF’s and Alameda’s Wallets Moved While the FTX Co-Founder Is on House Arrest On Thursday, an analyst called “Bowtiediguana” published a Twitter thread that shows Sam Bankman-Fried may have spent $684K while he is on house arrest. According to Bowtiediguana, in August 2020, SBF agreed to temporarily take over the decentralized exchange (dex) Sushiswap, after the anonymous founder Chef Nomi decided to leave. When the deal was made, SBF shared a public Ethereum address and Chef Nomi transferred ownership of Sushiswap to SBF’s address. “After SBF was released, his wallet sent all its remaining cr

Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary’s Twitter account was hacked Thursday and used to promote a bitcoin and ethereum giveaway scam. The scammers claimed that Mr. Wonderful is giving away 5,000 bitcoin and 15,000 ether, and anyone can participate. Kevin O’Leary’s ‘Fake’ Bitcoin and Ether Giveaways The official Twitter account for Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary, aka Mr. Wonderful, started promoting bitcoin and ethereum giveaways Thursday morning. The account tweeted claiming that O’Leary has made a lot of money from crypto over the last few years and he has decided to give away 5,000 bitcoin and 15,000 ether. The tweet also provides a link for anyone to join the cryptocurrency giveaway scam event. The O’Leary Twitter account further claimed that it is not hacked and the giveaways are not a scam. It also falsely claimed that Mr. Wonderful said on CNBC last night that he will away some cryptocurrencies for real. The link provided in the first tweet takes investors to a website claiming to

Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman says Tesla may have more in common with bitcoin than you think. He explained that Tesla sales have depended in part on the perception that CEO Elon Musk “is a cool guy” while the price of bitcoin is “being sustained by a hard-core group of true believers.” Paul Krugman Compares Tesla to Bitcoin Paul Krugman, who won the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel in 2008 for his analysis of trade patterns and location of economic activity, published an opinion piece in the New York Times Tuesday about Tesla, bitcoin, and their huge valuations. He wrote: Tesla and bitcoin may have more in common than you think. The economist explained that mega-corporations like Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon have maintained their dominance because these companies “benefit from strong network externalities — loosely speaking, everyone uses their products because everyone else uses their products.” However, “It’s hard to see what

A marketplace for digital assets is soon going to open in China under a public-private partnership, local media revealed. According to the report, the goal is to establish a regulated trading platform for digital collectibles as part of government efforts to curb market speculation with such assets. National Marketplace to Support Trading of Digital Collectibles and Copyrights in China Chinese authorities are preparing to launch a state-controlled platform allowing the trading of non-fungible tokens ( NFTs ) and other digital assets, local media announced. The initiative is a joint project between government organizations and a private company. The “China Digital Asset Trading Platform,” built in partnership by the China Technology Exchange, China Cultural Relics Exchange Center, and Huaban Digital Copyright Service Center Co. Limited, will launch on Jan. 1, 2023, the report by Sina Finance detailed on Wednesday. The marketplace will operate under the license of the China Digital

Microstrategy is now holding approximately 132,500 bitcoin following its most recent purchases. This year, the world’s largest cryptocurrency has emerged as “the institutional-grade digital asset,” said Microstrategy founder Michael Saylor. Microstrategy Acquires More Bitcoin Nasdaq-listed Microstrategy Inc. announced Wednesday that it has purchased more bitcoin for its corporate treasury. Michael Saylor, the company’s founder and executive chairman, tweeted Wednesday: Microstrategy has increased its bitcoin holdings by ~2,500 BTC . As of 12/27/22 Microstrategy holds ~132,500 bitcoin acquired for ~$4.03 billion at an average price of ~$30,397 per bitcoin. In its filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Microstrategy clarified that the 2,500 coins were acquired between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24 by its wholly owned subsidiary Macrostrategy. The subsidiary bought approximately 2,395 BTC at an average price of $17,871 per coin between Nov. 1 and Dec. 21. It then so

After the publicly-listed bitcoin mining firm Argo Blockchain suspended trading on Nasdaq and the London Stock Exchange, the company said it would follow up the next day with an announcement. The following day, on Dec. 28, 2022, Argo detailed it is selling its Helios facility to Galaxy Digital for $65 million, and the financially troubled business plans to refinance asset-backed loans with a new $35 million loan that stems from Galaxy. Galaxy Digital Purchases Texas Data Center From Argo Blockchain, Company Hopes Transactions Will ‘Enable the Company to Continue Operations’ Galaxy Digital is giving Argo Blockchain (Nasdaq: ARBK ) some fresh liquidity, according to a press announcement published by Argo on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022. Argo detailed that it is selling its Helios facility to Galaxy for $65 million. Galaxy has also agreed to host Argo’s fleet of Bitmain-manufactured S19J Pro bitcoin miners at the Helios facility. The Helios facility is located in Dickens County, Texas and

The famous author of the best-selling book Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, says now may be the last chance to buy gold and silver at low prices. “Inflation moving up. Interest rates moving up. Stock market to crash sending gold and silver higher,” Kiyosaki described. Robert Kiyosaki Expects Gold and Silver to Soar When Stock Market Crashes The author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, says the prices of gold and silver are about to soar. Rich Dad Poor Dad is a 1997 book co-authored by Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. It has been on the New York Times Best Seller List for over six years. More than 32 million copies of the book have been sold in over 51 languages across more than 109 countries. Kiyosaki tweeted Monday that the price of gold is now over $1,800 while silver is over $24, adding: Inflation moving up. Interest rates moving up. Stock market to crash sending gold and silver higher. May be last chance to buy gold and silver at these low prices. The Rich Dad Poor Dad

Senegalese-American artist, Akon, reportedly reassured participants in his so-called token of appreciation (TOA) that they will be reimbursed for donations. To back this promise, the singer reportedly claimed he is even willing to do “a world tour just to pay them all back.” Akon, however, conceded during an interview that he should “have gotten more things in place before promoting it [Akon City].” Singer Ready to Do a World Tour for Token Holders Rhythm and blues (R&B) singer and music producer, Akon, reportedly promised to reimburse disillusioned supporters who have been waiting for refunds from his token of appreciation (TOA) campaign. The Senegalese-American artist also told TOA holders that he is prepared to use his own funds to ensure this promise is honored. “I’m dead serious. I would do a world tour just to pay them all back,” the award-winning artist reportedly said. Launched in 2019, Akon’s TOA was given to his early financial backers. The TOA was not only a precurs

Banking giant HSBC has filed trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a wide range of digital currency products and services, including those related to the metaverse and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). HSBC’s Trademark Applications for Crypto-Related Products and Services HSBC has filed two crypto-related trademark applications for its name and logo with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Mike Kondoudis, a USPTO-licensed trademark attorney, noted in a tweet Friday that HSBC’s trademark applications indicate the bank’s plans for a number of digital products and services, including those related to the exchange and transfer of virtual currencies. HSBC’s crypto-related trademark applications were filed on Dec. 15; their serial numbers are 97718803 and 97718583. The bank described a wide range of products and services in its applications, including sending, receiving, converting, and storing digital currencies. The tradema

Gold bug and economist Peter Schiff has recommended selling bitcoin today, emphasizing that it is “the smart move.” Many people disagreed with Schiff’s analysis of the price of the cryptocurrency, warning that he is telling investors to sell at the bottom. Peter Schiff’s Bitcoin Advice Gold bug and economist Peter Schiff has a Christmas message for bitcoin investors. Schiff is the founder and current chairman of Schiffgold, a precious metals dealer specializing in gold and silver bullion. He has long been a bitcoin skeptic, regularly bashing the crypto while promoting gold. He tweeted Sunday: My Christmas gift to HODLers is this bitcoin chart. As you can see bitcoin is much closer to its ceiling than its floor. The yellow line that was once support is now resistance. Since the upside potential is so low and downside risk so high, the smart move is to sell today. While some people thanked Schiff for his advice, many criticized the economist for telling people to sell at the bott

Shark Tank star and the owner of the NBA team Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, says bitcoin is a good investment. The billionaire wants the price of the cryptocurrency to fall further so he can buy some more. Meanwhile, he insulted gold investors, calling them “dumb as f***.” Mark Cuban Prefers Bitcoin Over Gold Shark Tank star and the billionaire owner of the NBA team Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, shared his thoughts about bitcoin and gold in an episode of the “Club Random” podcast, hosted by comedian Bill Maher and scheduled to be aired Monday. Maher said he is “ very anti-bitcoin ” and believes in the value of gold. Commenting on gold investing, the Dallas Mavericks owner opined : If you have gold, you’re dumb as f***. The podcast host proceeded to argue that gold “never goes away” and is “like a hedge against everything else.” Cuban replied: No, but it’s not a hedge against anything, right? What it is is the stored value and you don’t own the physical gold, do you? … Gold is

Financial institutions in Russia will not be able to communicate with clients through instant messengers based outside the country, local media revealed. A new law passed by the State Duma also prohibits banks from using chats to send personal data and payment documents. Bill Restricts Russian Banks and Brokers From Sending Sensitive Information Through Foreign Messengers Banks in the Russian Federation will not be allowed to contact their customers on a number of popular messengers, according to new legislation approved by the lower house of parliament. The ban applies to foreign-based platforms. A list of the affected apps is yet to be published by Roskomnadzor , the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media, but Telegram , Whatsapp, Viber, and the like fit the description, the business daily Kommersant reported. The draft law, passed by the State Duma in the third reading, also restricts the use of this type of messaging service fo

A strategist at global investment bank JPMorgan says crypto is effectively nonexistent as an asset class for most large institutional investors. “The volatility is too high, the lack of an intrinsic return that you can point to makes it very challenging,” he added. JPMorgan on Institutional Crypto Investing JPMorgan Asset Management’s head of institutional portfolio strategy, Jared Gross, discussed crypto and institutional investors’ interest in the asset class on Bloomberg Friday. The senior investment strategist described: As an asset class, crypto is effectively nonexistent for most large institutional investors … The volatility is too high, the lack of an intrinsic return that you can point to makes it very challenging. Gross added that it is “self-evident” that bitcoin has not proven itself to be a form of digital gold or haven asset like some have hoped. He continued: Most institutional investors probably are breathing a sigh of relief that they didn’t jump into that mar