On Feb. 10, 2023, Republicans Patrick McHenry of North Carolina and Bill Huizenga of Michigan, both members of the U.S. House of Representatives, sent a letter to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairman Gary Gensler seeking answers about the arrest of FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried prior to his scheduled testimony before the House Financial Services
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The first production update of 2023 from publicly listed Bitcoin (BTC) mining companies shows a steady increase in hash rate and a surge in BTC production compared to the previous month, according to a new analysis from Hashrate Index. The majority of public miners increased their bitcoin production in January, with CleanSpark boosting it by
Bitcoin’s difficulty decreased 0.49% on Feb. 12, 2023, following a sustained all-time high of 39.35 trillion over the previous two weeks (2,016 blocks). The decrease in difficulty offers a brief respite for bitcoin miners, after the network recorded a 14.94% increase in the last month. Bitcoin Difficulty Drops 0.49% Lower; Top Five Mining Pools Continue
What is monetary policy? Monetary policy refers to the actions taken by a central bank or monetary authority to manage the supply of money and interest rates in an economy, with the aim of promoting economic growth and stability. To affect the price and accessibility of credit, this may entail altering the money supply, setting
Investment management firm Ark Invest has offered three bitcoin price predictions in a new report, including a bull scenario where bitcoin could reach $1.48 million per coin. In other news, a 7zip file possibly linked to activist Julian Assange was reportedly discovered in the Bitcoin blockchain, and billionaire investor Tim Draper has encouraged the government
South Korea has imposed sanctions on the North in relation to a number of cyberattacks often resulting in the theft of cryptocurrency. The authorities in Seoul say the regime in Pyongyang is using the digital assets to fund its nuclear and missile development projects. South Korea Hits North Korean Hackers With First Cybercrime Sanctions The
For the first time since the 7th century, the paper-money economy found its true competition in the internet era. With Bitcoin’s (BTC) debut in 2010, the fiat ecosystem was not only challenged with proving its worth in day-to-day transactions but also safekeeping the investment ecosystem it helped build. Over the years, the crypto ecosystem attracted
Bitcoin (BTC) edged closer to $22,000 over the weekend as traders and analysts urged caution on overly bearish sentiment. Analyst dismisses “hysterical” crypto sentiment Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD seeing small spurts higher into Feb. 12. After hitting three-week lows the week prior, Bitcoin was a target for opportunistic whales, on-chain
The Consumer Federation of California (CFC), a nonprofit advocacy organization working for consumer rights, sponsored a bill that seeks to license and regulate the activities of cryptocurrency exchanges. The legislation demanding regulatory oversight of crypto businesses — the Digital Financial Assets Law — was introduced by Assemblymember Timothy Grayson with the aim of protecting Californians
According to a recent mission statement published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), El Salvador has adopted bitcoin as legal tender and has avoided risks so far. The IMF states that the risks have not materialized due to the limited use of bitcoin. However, the United Nations financial agency warns that if its legal tender
Authorities in Abkhazia are stepping up efforts to clamp down on cryptocurrency mining amid electricity shortages in the winter months. The government of the breakaway Georgian region announced it’s also taking measures to prevent imports of mining equipment. Abkhazia Creates Headquarters to Combat Illegal Crypto Mining Operations Police in Abkhazia are conducting daily raids to
A major Brazilian bank is offering a new and convenient option for taxpayers to settle their dues using cryptocurrencies. According to a statement published by Brazilian bank Banco do Brasil on Feb. 11 it is now “possible” for Brazilian taxpayers to pay their tax bill with crypto, in a joint initiative with Brazilian-based crypto firm
India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has revealed that 50,000 users and 5,000 merchants are now using its central bank digital currency (CBDC). Digital rupee transactions are currently processed by eight banks, with five more banks set to join the pilot soon, said RBI Deputy Governor T. Rabi Sankar. Digital Rupee Now
El Salvador has been advised by the global monetary watchdog to exercise caution in expanding government exposure to Bitcoin (BTC) due to the “speculative nature” of crypto markets. A Feb. 10 statement from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) emphasized that Bitcoin’s risks to El Salvador have “not materialized” yet due to the country’s “limited” use
Economist and gold bug Peter Schiff has warned of a financial crisis and a much more severe recession than the Federal Reserve recognizes. “The economy is not only going to weaken, but weaken much more than the markets expect,” the economist stressed. Peter Schiff’s Warning Gold bug and economist Peter Schiff voiced his concerns regarding
The famous author of the best-selling book Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, has warned that “everything will crash,” including gold, silver, and bitcoin. However, he sees crashes as buying opportunities, noting that he will buy more bitcoin. Robert Kiyosaki Reiterates Market Crash Warning The author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, has reiterated
The Chinese government is setting up a national blockchain innovation center in Beijing to focus on industrial applications and major use cases of blockchain technology, particularly those related to the Chinese economy. China Establishing New Blockchain Center China’s Ministry of Science and Technology has approved the establishment of a blockchain research center called the National
The crypto world was jolted last week when the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) shut down Kraken’s staking program, much to the satisfaction of Chairman Gary Gensler and his team. But what does this mean for the future of cryptocurrency and, more specifically, staking? The following opinion editorial was written by Bitcoin.com’s Business Development Manager
Top Stories This Week Kraken reaches $30M settlement with SEC over staking as IRS seeks user information Kraken has agreed to stop offering staking services or programs to United States clients after reaching an agreement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Along with ceasing operations, the crypto exchange will pay $30 million in
During the first week of 2023, payment service giant Paypal said it was exploring the launch of a stablecoin. At the time, an executive at Paypal stated that if the company moved forward, it would work closely with financial regulators. However, on Feb. 10, a source noted that Paypal has put the concept on hold