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Showing posts from May, 2022

EU Regulator Warns Soaring Inflation Could Drive Investors to Crypto — Calls for Unified Regulatory Framework

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Europe’s top securities regulator has warned that soaring inflation could drive investors to cryptocurrencies. Stressing that there is “an imbalance” in how each EU country deals with crypto, the regulator calls for a common regulatory framework across European countries. Inflation Could Drive Investors to Crypto, EU Regulator Says The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s top securities markets regulator, has warned that soaring inflation may drive retail investors into cryptocurrencies, Bloomberg reported Thursday. The regulator has also called for a formal legal framework to govern the crypto industry across all EU countries. ESMA Chair Verena Ross said in an interview last week: With inflation rising, investors will look to find investments which are able to try to compensate for inflation and bring greater returns, which might lead to greater risk taking. “That is something we are monitoring very closely,” she emphasized. Many investors believe that

Rich Dad Poor Dad’s Robert Kiyosaki Warns of Stocks and Bonds Crashing — Depression, Civil Unrest Coming

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The famous author of the best-selling book Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, has predicted that a depression and civil unrest are coming. He also warned of the stock and bond markets crashing. Robert Kiyosaki on Markets Crashing, Depression, and Civil Unrest The author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, has issued more warnings about the U.S. economy. 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 claims that liberals and environmentalists are to blame for a reduction in oil production, which he said caused inflation, while stimulus checks paid workers not to work. Besides predicting that the stock and bond markets are crashing, he warned that a depression and civil unrest are coming. The famous author also noted that inflation is killing retailers, even giant

MoU Established by Clesson, the Company Behind LABEL Foundation, With CJ Entertainment and Media

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PRESS RELEASE. Clesson, the operating company behind OPENTRACK and LABEL Foundation, has officially established a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with CJ Entertainment & Media . The new collaboration has the potential to benefit both parties involved as CJ Entertainment & Media is essentially an entertainment and mass media organization founded by the CJ Group, which is among South Korea’s major conglomerate corporations. What is there to know? Joining Clesson is Hen, the composer of the Netflix serial ‘ My Liberation Notes ’. Hen is from O’PEN CJ Entertainment & Media has reportedly joined LABEL Foundation’s operating company after Clesson successfully managed to enlist the services of the renowned composer as part of the collaboration, much to everyone’s delight as Hen has performed in a number of South Korean music projects and is also well known for creating the soundtrack for the aforementioned Netflix series. Clesson also serves as the main operating company be

Brazilian Development Bank Launches Blockchain Network

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The Brazilian Development Bank has officially launched the Brazilian Blockchain Network, a structure designed to aid other institutions in the country in increasing public transparency. The launch, which was also assisted by the Court of Accounts of the Union, serves to call more institutions to adhere to this project, which aims to have its first applications ready for 2023. Brazilian Blockchain Network Launch Completed The Brazilian Blockchain Network, a public and distributed blockchain, was launched on May 30. The event, which was hosted by the Brazilian Development Bank and the Court of Accounts of the Union, serves as a starting point to call other institutions to collaborate with the development and growth of the network. Gustavo Montezano, the president of the Brazilian Development Bank, who is in charge of the development of the network, declared that the organization will sign agreements with other government institutions to collaborate on this task, stating that “the m

South Korea to Invest $177 Million Directly in Metaverse Platforms

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The government of South Korea has announced it will start investing in metaverse projects directly. More than $177 million dollars will be invested to kickstart national jobs and companies in this field, according to statements made by Lim Hyesook, minister of science and information and communication technologies. South Korea is one of the first countries to put funds into this field. South Korea Gets Into the Metaverse While more VC firms and companies are actively investing in the future of the metaverse, some nations are also preparing to invest in this new area to secure the future. South Korea is one of them, having recently announced it is going to invest directly in companies and initiatives related to the metaverse. The investment, which will amount to $177.1 million to kickstart the national industry, was announced by the minister of science and information and communication technologies of South Korea, Lim Hyesook. He stated the metaverse is “an uncharted digital contin

Fresh Gains Push Bitcoin Back Into the World’s Top 10 Most Valuable Assets

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While bitcoin has lost more than 16% in value against the U.S. dollar during the past 30 days, the cryptocurrency’s market capitalization is still the tenth-largest asset by market valuation. With $603 billion in market value, bitcoin is above Meta’s (formally Facebook) capitalization and just below Berkshire Hathaway’s overall valuation. Despite Losing Over 16% in a Month, Bitcoin Is Still the 10th Most Valuable Asset Worldwide The leading crypto asset bitcoin ( BTC ) has had a rough few weeks in terms of market prices dropping. A month ago today, BTC was 16.4% higher in USD value as the recent stock market carnage and the Terra LUNA and UST fiasco contributed to bitcoin’s losses. However, in terms of market dominance, BTC ’s market capitalization among more than 13,000 cryptocurrencies is now over 44% of the $1.36 trillion crypto economy. While BTC is the number one leading crypto asset today in terms of market valuation, the crypto asset’s market cap makes it the tenth-largest

Turkey Drafting Crypto Bill to Submit to Parliament in Coming Weeks: Report

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Turkey is reportedly drafting crypto legislation to be submitted to parliament in the coming weeks. The bill may also impose taxes on some crypto transactions. New Turkish Crypto Legislation Underway Turkey is drafting a bill to establish new rules for the crypto industry, Bloomberg reported last week, citing two unnamed Turkish officials familiar with the matter. According to the officials, the governing AK Party of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan plans to submit the cryptocurrency bill to parliament in the coming weeks. Under the new regulatory framework, companies would be required to have a minimum of 100 million liras ($6 million) in capital. In addition, global cryptocurrency exchanges would be mandated to open branch offices that can be taxed in Turkey. The authorities are also exploring ways to safely store cryptocurrencies. The new measures were on the agenda of a meeting held at the president’s office last week. The meeting was attended by Vice President Fuat Oktay, Trea

Report: Lebanese Pound Exchange Rate Against Dollar Plunges to All-Time Low

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After relative calm for a few months, the Lebanese pound has plunged to an all-time low of 35,600 per dollar, a report has said. The currency’s latest slide is expected to worsen Lebanon’s economic challenges. Pound Depreciation In a sign that Lebanon’s ongoing economic crisis is worsening, the black market exchange rate of the Lebanese pound is reported to have plunged to an all-time low of 35,600 against the dollar. According to an Al Jazeera report, it took just two weeks for the pound’s black market exchange rate to drop from 26,800 to the latest rate. At the time of writing, the pound’s official exchange rate was 1,510 for every dollar. The pound’s reported quickfire depreciation has worsened Lebanon’s already difficult economic situation. Also as noted in an Al Jazeera report , the currency’s plunge was preceded by a 25% increase in petrol prices. Plans to scrap subsidies — which in turn can lead to further price increases — are expected to worsen the plight of the country’s

Undervalued Metaverse Project Mars4 Is Preparing for New Releases

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In the crypto industry, investors are always on the search for undervalued projects that have the greatest potential for increasing early investors’ returns. Finding these hidden gem initiatives just before noteworthy launches is an easy way to profit. Mars4 is one of these projects to keep an eye on, as the team behind it is working on exciting new releases that will be available the next month. These updates will boost the game’s economy and provide players with a sneak peek at the upcoming game. The community should expect the Mars4 project to acquire credibility as a result of these changes, bringing additional investors to the initiative. What exactly is Mars4? Mars4 offers non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that represent virtual Mars . All NFTs are unique in terrain and were modeled using NASA data to make them accurate representations of the Red Planet. The planned Mars metaverse game will make use of these land parcel NFTs. In the game, you can explore your virtual property, g

Indian Government Finalizing Crypto Consultation Paper — ‘We Are Looking at a Global Paradigm on Digital Assets’

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India’s economic affairs secretary has reportedly revealed that the government’s consultation paper on cryptocurrency is “fairly ready.” He explained that the Indian government is looking at “a global paradigm on digital assets,” emphasizing that “There has to be a broad framework on which all economies have to be together.” Economic Affairs Secretary Ajay Seth on Crypto Indian Economic Affairs Secretary Ajay Seth provided an update Monday on the government’s progress to establish India’s crypto policy. Speaking about the government’s consultation paper on crypto, he was quoted by CNBC TV18 as saying: Our consultation paper is fairly ready and we went into a deep dive and have consulted not just the domestic institutional stakeholders but also the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. “So we hope that we will soon be in a position to finalize our consultation paper,” the economic affairs secretary added. In April, Bitcoin.com News reported that Indian finance minis

Bank of America CEO: We Have Hundreds of Blockchain Patents — But Regulation Won’t Allow Us to Engage in Crypto

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The CEO of Bank of America says that his bank has hundreds of blockchain patents but regulations will not allow it to engage in crypto. “The reality is that we can’t do it by regulation,” he said. Bank of America’s CEO on Crypto Bank of America (BOA) CEO Brian Moynihan talked about cryptocurrency in an interview with Yahoo Finance Live at the recent World Economic Forum event in Davos, published Saturday. He was asked about his bank’s plans for cryptocurrencies. “The reality is that we run a payments business across our platform. It’s trillions of dollars a day, and almost all of it is digital,” the executive replied, adding: If you think about the blockchain, we have hundreds of patents on blockchain as a process and as a tool and as a technology. However, with regard to cryptocurrency, he revealed: “We’re not engaging in accounts for people in cryptocurrency … we’re not allowed to, frankly.” The Bank of America chief explained: “Because we’re regulated and they [regulators]

The Fed’s Christopher Waller Wants 50 bps Rate Hikes Until Inflation Subsides, US Savings Data Plummets

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Federal Reserve governor Christopher Waller has detailed he is ready to get behind 50 bps rate hikes until the extreme inflationary pressures plaguing the U.S. economy subsides. Waller stressed that until inflation is reduced he doesn’t “see the point of stopping” 50 bps rate hikes. Furthermore, statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis show that American savings have plummeted to levels not seen since the ‘Great Recession’ in 2008. Christopher Waller Advocates for 50 Bps Rate Hikes at Every Fed Meeting Until Inflation Is Under Control Inflation is wreaking havoc on the wallets of everyday Americans as the cost of goods and services has skyrocketed during the past few months. Inflation is so bad that president Joe Biden will host a rare Oval Office meeting on May 31, with Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell to discuss inflation and the state of the U.S. economy. Meanwhile, Federal Reserve governor Christopher Waller is of the opinion that raising the benchmark interest

Tron Now Commands the Third-Largest TVL in Defi — Network’s Stablecoin USDD Confronted by Skepticism

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This week the Tron blockchain has become the third-largest network in terms of total value locked (TVL) in decentralized finance (defi) protocols. Interestingly, 48.19% of the TVL is held by the defi protocol Justlend, an application that’s similar to Anchor Protocol as it offers more than 20% APY for USDD deposits. Amid Tron’s TVL rising, the network’s stablecoin USDD has been confronted by skeptics over the similarities USDD holds with Terra’s UST. Tron Takes the Third-Largest Position in Terms of Total Value Locked in Decentralized Finance Protocols On May 30, 2022, Tron managed to become the third-largest defi blockchain in terms of total value locked. At the time of writing, Tron’s TVL in defi is $5.94 billion, which is just below the Binance Smart Chain (BSC) TVL and above the Avalanche (AVAX) TVL. Amid the Terra LUNA and UST fallout , on May 12, 2022, Tron’s TVL was $3.97 billion and the blockchain was ranked number five in terms of TVL size by chains. On that day, Tron’s T

While the New LUNA Records Gains, Do Kwon’s Terraform Labs Is Plagued by Controversy and Accusations

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It’s been two days since the Terra development team launched the new Phoenix-1 blockchain with the network’s native token LUNA. While the token dropped significantly in value during the first day of trading, the new LUNA has jumped 8.8% in value during the last 24 hours. Amid the token’s 24-hour rise, controversy continues to plague Do Kwon and Terraform Labs. Moreover, the old token, luna classic (LUNC), has been climbing in value as the crypto asset has gained more than 70% during the last day. New LUNA Coin Jumps Over 8% Higher on Monday, Token Is Still Down More Than 64% From the Recent Price High It’s been roughly more than 48 hours since the birth of the new Terra blockchain and crypto asset LUNA. During the first couple of hours of trading, the new LUNA changed hands at an all-time high (ATH) at $18.87 per coin. Presently, the price is 64% lower than the ATH, even with today’s gains. According to coinmarketcap.com stats, there’s 210,000,000 LUNA tokens in circulation, but the

Nigerian Presidential Hopeful Says He Supports Digital Currencies but Wants the Industry Regulated

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Nigerian presidential hopeful, Bukola Saraki, recently said he supports the digital currency industry which he claimed has created opportunities for the country’s youth. However, he insisted that there is a need for the enactment of laws that guide players in this space. Digital Currencies Create Opportunities for the Youth One of Nigeria’s presidential aspirants, Bukola Saraki, was recently quoted saying he supports digital currencies and that he does not think they will wreck the economy. The presidential hopeful nevertheless suggested that there must be legislation and policies in place to guide players in this space. In his remarks during an interview , Saraki, one of the fifteen individuals seeking to become the opposition’s candidate in Nigeria’s upcoming presidential elections, acknowledged that digital currencies have created opportunities for the country’s youth. He said: I also think it has helped especially the young generation in creating jobs and opportunities. And a

PlanetQuest and Immutable X Launch Community Friendly NFT Planet Sale

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PRESS RELEASE. In a radically different approach to handling an NFT sale, PlanetQuest, has just launched its community friendly Planet Sale at planetquest.io. The Cinematic Multiverse and Blockchain Game, backed by Hollywood and Gaming talent, top tier investors and a community of over 215.000 Explorers, is pioneering a whole new sales approach that promises to eliminate gas wars, frustration and front running bots, while ensuring their first ever, real-time 3D Planet NFTs end up in the hands of deserving buyers and community members. After coming out of stealth on the 15th of December of 2021, PlanetQuest had already built a massive fanbase. With its interactive storyline, that saw community members voting to decide the fate of beloved characters, closing in on the end of its first season, an ancient artifact, known as The Cradle, has been discovered and activated, opening wormholes to unexplored galaxies, and setting the stage for the next phase of the PlanetQuest journey: The Co

Ethereum Transaction Fees Hit a 10-Month Low as Gas Costs per Transfer Sink Below $3

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The average Ethereum network fee has dropped to the lowest value recorded in over ten months, after fees hit a low of $2.96 per transaction on Sunday afternoon (ET). The last time ethereum transfer fees dropped below the $3 mark was last year on July 11, 2021. Moreover, median fees are even cheaper, as the median-sized ethereum transaction fee on May 29 is around 0.00086 ether or $1.56 per transfer. Ethereum Gas Costs Sink to Lowest Levels Since July 2021 Ethereum network fees are the cheapest they have been in over ten months and around 12 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, the average ETH transfer fee slid to a low of $2.96 per transaction . As the day continued on, average ether fees have jumped a bit higher to 0.002 ether or $3.56 per transfer. Ethereum’s transaction fees have not been this low in quite some time. Bitcoin.com News has been covering the fact that gas costs have been dropping since mid-February and during the first week of March, ethereum transaction fees slid to just above

Binance Obtains Regulatory Approval to Offer Crypto Products in Italy

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Crypto exchange Binance has received regulatory approval from Italy’s financial regulator to operate as a cryptocurrency service provider in the country. “Clear and effective regulation is essential for mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies,” said Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao. Binance Now Licensed in Italy Binance announced Friday that Binance Italy “has received regulatory approval” through registration as a Cryptocurrency Service Provider with the Organismo Agenti e Mediatori (OAM), as required by the Italian legislation on crypto assets. The announcement states: The registration of Binance Italy … allows the company to offer crypto products to its customers in Italy. Binance Italy, established in recent months, is the legal entity of the Binance Group in Italy. Earlier this month, Binance said it has received approval from the French financial regulator , the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), to operate as a registered Digital Asset Service Provider (DASP). The crypto

‘Big Short’ Investor Michael Burry Warns of Looming Consumer Recession, More Earnings Trouble

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Hedge fund manager Michael Burry, famed for forecasting the 2008 financial crisis, has warned of a looming consumer recession and more earnings trouble. He cited falling U.S. personal savings and record-setting revolving credit card debt despite trillions of dollars in stimulus money. Michael Burry’s Recession Warning Famous investor and founder of investment firm Scion Asset Management, Michael Burry, warned on Friday about a looming consumer recession and more earnings trouble ahead. He is best known for being the first investor to foresee and profit from the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis that occurred between 2007 and 2010. He is profiled in “The Big Short,” a book by Michael Lewis about the mortgage crisis, which was made into a movie starring Christian Bale. Burry explained on Twitter Friday: US Personal Savings fell to 2013 levels, the savings rate to 2008 levels – while revolving credit card debt grew at a record-setting pace back to the pre-Covid peak despite all those t

Recession or Prolonged Inflation: The Fed Must Decide Between Two Policy Mistakes, Says Economist

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Allianz Chief Economic Advisor Mohamed El-Erian says the Federal Reserve will have to “decide between two policy mistakes.” One risks triggering a recession and the other could prolong inflation well into 2023. “I think the time has passed for a soft landing,” the economist stressed. Mohamed El-Erian on Inflation, Recession, and the U.S. Economy Economist Mohamed El-Erian discussed where the U.S. economy is headed and the Federal Reserve’s plan to bring inflation under control in an interview with Bloomberg Friday. El-Erian is Chief Economic Advisor at Allianz, the corporate parent of PIMCO, one of the largest investment managers, where he was CEO and co-chief investment officer. He is also the president of Queens’ College, Cambridge University. He was asked what’s feasible for Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell under the current economic environment. The economist replied that “at best,” it is “what Chair Powell called a ‘softish’ landing, and the ‘ish’ is really important.”

Provision Allowing Cryptocurrency Payments in Foreign Trade Added to Russian Bill

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A proposal to permit companies to use cryptocurrency in cross-border settlements has made its way to a draft law designed to regulate Russia’s crypto space this year. According to a press report, the finance ministry has introduced a number of revisions to the legislation it has been working on in the past few months. Changes to Cryptocurrency Bill Can Make International Coin Payments Possible in Russia The Russian Ministry of Finance has revised its draft law “On Digital Currency” to reflect various suggestions by other government departments and agencies, the business daily Vedomosti unveiled, quoting government sources. The amendments have been coordinated with the ministries of economy, digital development, internal affairs, the Federal Tax Service, and Russia’s financial watchdog, Rosfinmonitoring. The one major institution missing from that list is the Central Bank of Russia, which remains opposed to any legalization of cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and respectively disagrees

Free-to-Mint NFT Collection Goblintown Is Now Worth Over $50 Million

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A non-fungible token (NFT) collection called Goblintown is capturing millions in sales, as the NFT project has recorded $22.85 million in sales this week surpassing Otherdeed’s $20.73 million. At the time of writing, Goblintown obtained $2.26 million in sales during the past 24 hours, and the collection’s floor value jumped 103.2% higher today, to a daily high of 2.79 ether. Mysterious Free-to-Mint Goblintown NFT Collection Captures Millions The latest NFT collection turning heads this week is a project called Goblintown , an NFT compilation consisting of 9,999 goblins. One reason the project getting noticed is because the NFTs were minted for free and then they gained significant real-world value over time. Without any frills, major promotions, or commercial hype, by May 23, 2022, Goblintown’s floor value was 0.5 ethereum (ETH) , and its increased 458% to 2.79 ETH by Sunday evening on May 28. The project officially launched on May 22 and the only way people heard about it was thr

Sequel to Iconic RPG Ni No Kuni to Feature NFT Integration and Play-to-Earn Mechanics

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The new installment of Ni No Kuni, an RPG franchise brought by independent gaming studio Level 5 and animated by Studio Ghibli, has launched with blockchain elements present. The game, which has been designed for mobile and PC platforms, introduces a token system that lets players use their earnings outside of the game, and will feature support for NFTs in the future. ‘Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds’ Goes Blockchain More and more game developers are now including blockchain and play-to-earn elements in their games as a means of innovation and empowering players. “Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds,” the new sequel to the acclaimed RPG franchise, developed by independent Japanese studio Level 5, has announced it will make use of NFTs and tokens to establish its own game economy. The game, which features studio Ghibli animations and five different characters, each one with different attributes and stories, will use these elements to enrich the player experience. According to the official page of th