Only days after the launch of the Bitcoin (BTC)-based Ordinals protocol, its creator had to deal with their first shock pornographic image which has been inscribed into the blockchain. On Feb. 2 at around 12:15 AM UTC, an unsavory image known as “goatse” was inscribed onto the Bitcoin blockchain via the Ordinals protocol. It featured
The Indian government has introduced new crypto tax penalties, including for non-payment of crypto tax deducted at source (TDS). Much to the disappointment of the crypto community, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman did not mention crypto in her Budget speech this year. Crypto income remains taxed at 30% while TDS stays at 1%. No Crypto Tax
Recent charges brought against Mango Markets exploiter Avraham Eisenberg will have a positive impact on the decentralized finance (DeFi) space, according to credit rating firm Moody’s. In a Jan. 31 note from Moody’s Investor Service, AVP of decentralized finance Cristiano Ventricelli stated that enforcement actions brought by the two leading U.S. market regulators in January
Non-fungible token (NFT) sales increased 41.96% from the previous month, according to data recorded on Feb. 1, 2023. NFT sales reached nearly $1 billion in 30 days, with an approximate total of $997.53 million. Additionally, the number of digital collectible transactions rose more than 22% in the past month. Bored Ape Yacht Club Dominates, Ethereum
According to research from Recap, a cryptocurrency tax software company, London has become the world’s leading hub for cryptocurrencies. The researchers analyzed eight indicators, including the number of cryptocurrency businesses and the quantity of cryptocurrency ATMs in each country. Key Findings of Recap’s Study on Global Cryptocurrency Hubs Crypto tax firm Recap released a research
The total crypto market cap jumped nearly 4% following a speech from United States Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell in which he suggested the economy’s disinflationary process has started. “We can now say, I think for the first time, that the disinflationary process has started […] we see it really in goods prices,” said Powell
A small-scale decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) has suffered a rather sizeable smart contract exploit leading to an estimated $120 million being stolen from its protocol. BonqDAO, which is behind the Bonq protocol, told its Twitter followers on Feb. 1 that its protocol was exposed to an oracle hack that allowed the exploiter to manipulate the
Ethereum’s next big upgrade, Shanghai, is on the horizon for March. The Shanghai hard fork will implement further improvement proposals for the Ethereum network as well as enable Ether (ETH) stakers and validators to withdraw their assets from the Beacon Chain. At the time of writing, staked ETH represents approximately 14% of the total supply,
The U.K. has unveiled “ambitious plans” to “robustly regulate” various crypto activities, while seeking to protect customers and grow its economy. In the next three months, British authorities will accept public feedback on the new regulatory proposals designed to govern digital assets like traditional finance. British Government Sets Out to Regulate Crypto Market, Remains Committed
A proposed class action suit against cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, Coinbase Global and CEO Brian Armstrong alleging unregistered securities sales was dismissed in the United States District Court of Southern New York on Feb. 1. The suit, filed on March 11, claimed that 79 of the tokens listed on Coinbase were securities being sold without proper
Bitcoin’s (BTC) price has been trading above $22,500 for 12 days. Of course, this situation can change even if Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell issues positive statements about the economy in today’s post-FOMC presser. Even if the decision matches the market consensus, the post-meeting statement should be investors’ primary area of focus. Specific areas to
The U.S. Federal Reserve raised its benchmark federal funds rate by 0.25% on Wednesday after markets priced in near 100% certainty the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) would codify the quarter-point increase. The FOMC statement further detailed that ongoing rate increases are anticipated to bring inflation down to the target range of 2%. FOMC Outlines
The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury has added two cryptocurrency wallets allegedly connected to a Russian sanctions evasion network as part of its list of Specially Designated Nationals. In a Feb. 1 announcement, OFAC said it had added one Bitcoin (BTC) address and one Ether (ETH) address
The South African grocery retailer Pick n Pay is expanding its Bitcoin (BTC) coverage to all 1,628 stores across the country following a three-month pilot testing phase in 39 locations. As part of its nationwide rollout, store customers will be able to pay for items using cryptocurrency via smartphone apps or by scanning a QR
On Jan. 26, 2023, the cryptocurrency asset aptos (APT) reached an all-time high and then lost 20% of its value over the next five days. In the past 24 hours, it also shed 8.3% against the U.S. dollar. Despite the decline from its all-time high, APT is still up 349% compared to last month’s exchange
A federal judge in the United States has reportedly given approval for tech giant Meta to move forward on acquiring a virtual reality company. According to a Feb. 1 report from Bloomberg, Judge Edward Davila in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California denied an injunction by the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC,
Bitcoin (BTC) gained about 40% in January, its best finish in the first month of the year since 2013. The sharp rally caused a change in sentiment and the futures markets which saw backwardation in November and December started trading at a healthy contango in January, according to Glassnode. Coming out of a bear market
Litecoin raced to a nine-month high on Feb. 1, following a breakout of a key resistance level. The surge in price comes as the global cryptocurrency market cap rose marginally higher today, and is up by 0.57% as of writing. Cosmos was another notable mover, with prices up for a second straight session. Litecoin (LTC)
A federal judge presiding over the criminal case against former FTX chief executive officer Sam Bankman-Fried has ordered he not have any contact with current or former employees of the exchange as part of his bail conditions. In a Feb. 1 ruling, Judge Lewis Kaplan of the Southern District of New York said Bankman-Fried was
If you ask 10 people what Bitcoin’s original purpose is, at least one person will say it’s meant to cut out the middleman, reduce the cost of transacting and empower those who might not have access to modern financial infrastructure. While all of those boxes might be ticked, another phenomenon of financial technology, and technology