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Showing posts from August, 2023

Binance Launches ‘Send Cash’ Remittance Services in Latam

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Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange by volumes traded, has announced the launch of “Send Cash,” a Latam-focused remittance service. The newly launched tool will allow users in nine countries in the region to send crypto to bank accounts of friends or family in Argentina and Colombia directly, bypassing third-party intermediaries. Binance Seeks to Ease Remittances in Latam With ‘Send Cash’ On Tuesday, Binance announced the launch of ‘Send Cash,’ a new service that seeks to ease the burden of Latam crypto users trying to send remittances to friends and family in Latam. In a press release , Binance explained that this new tool will allow users in 9 countries of Latam – Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala, Argentina, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Dominican Republic, Panama, and Mexico – to send funds directly to the bank accounts of users located in Colombia and Argentina “at the lowest cost in the market.” Binance also hinted at the possible expansion of this program to other countries of

US Lawmaker: Americans Don’t Need CBDC That Can Track Purchases Like China’s Digital Yuan

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Several lawmakers have expressed concerns about the privacy risks of the Federal Reserve issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC). “Americans have a right to financial privacy,” one congressman said, emphasizing: “We do not need a CBDC that can track your purchases like China does with their digital yuan.” Another noted: “CBDC is to sound money what dictatorship is to freedom.” ‘Americans Have a Right to Financial Privacy’ Multiple U.S. lawmakers have warned against the issuance of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) by the Federal Reserve. Congressman French Hill (R-AR), chairman of Congress’ Digital Assets Subcommittee, wrote on social media platform X on Wednesday: Americans have a right to financial privacy. We do not need a CBDC that can track your purchases like China does with their digital yuan. “The authority rests with Congress, not unelected bureaucrats, to create and implement a CBDC. And that’s non-partisan,” the lawmaker stressed. The congressman has been

Biden’s Regulators Urged to Work With Congress on Crypto Regulation

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A number of U.S. lawmakers have urged regulators, including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), to work with Congress on crypto regulation. “Chair Gensler’s regulation by enforcement is unlawful and does nothing to protect consumers. It’s time for Biden’s regulators to work with Congress to provide clear rules of the road and robust consumer protections through legislation,” said the House Financial Services Committee. Lawmakers Urge Regulators to Work With Congress on Crypto Regulation After the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled in favor of crypto asset manager Grayscale Investments against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a number of lawmakers have urged regulators to collaborate with Congress on cryptocurrency regulation. On Tuesday, the Financial Services GOP posted on social media platform X: Chair Gensler’s regulation by enforcement is unlawful and does nothing to protect consumers. It’s time for Biden’s regulators

Court Ruling in Favor of Grayscale Clears Path for Bitcoin Innovation in US: Vivek Ramaswamy

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Grayscale’s court win over the U.S. securities regulator will help keep crypto innovation in America, Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy is convinced. While praising the “strong decision,” Ramaswamy also commented that the case should have never reached the courts. Federal Courts Are the Only Line of Defense Against Shadow Government, Ramaswamy Says The court ruling in the case of Grayscale Investments against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) clears a path to keep Bitcoin and blockchain innovation in America, according to Vivek Ramaswamy, a candidate for the Republican Party’s nomination for the 2024 presidential election in the United States. Ramaswamy took to social media to share his thoughts on the recent decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in favor of the largest crypto asset manager. Grayscale had challenged the SEC’s move to deny the conversion of its bitcoin trust (GBTC) to a spot bitcoin exchange-traded

7 Spot Bitcoin ETFs Face Extended Wait as SEC Seeks Deeper Analysis

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The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has deferred decisions on seven spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications from Invesco Galaxy, Wisdomtree, Bitwise, Vaneck, Fidelity’s Wise Origin, Blackrock, and Valkyrie. In statements released on Thursday, the SEC underlined the necessity for a more extended timeframe to thoroughly assess the submitted propositions. SEC Delays Spot Bitcoin ETF Decision for 7 Major Applicants On August 31, the U.S. securities overseer resolved to postpone its verdict in order to allocate a lengthier period for scrutinizing the proposed rule amendments for seven distinct spot bitcoin ETFs. The regulator elaborated that this step ensures ample time for the SEC to meticulously examine the proposal and address any worries raised. Decisions for the collection of filings originating from Wisdomtree , Valkyrie , Bitwise, Fidelity’s Wise Origin , Vaneck , Blackrock , and Invesco Galaxy will be extended until mid to late October. Unfortunatel

Binance to Gradually Phase Out Support for BUSD Stablecoin

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The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by global trade volume, Binance, has announced it is discontinuing support for the stablecoin asset BUSD. The trading platform is encouraging users to swap their BUSD as Binance gradually phases out BUSD markets. BUSD Support Ending on Binance, Users Told to Swap Tokens On August 31, Binance disclosed BUSD support will be phased out and the exchange is asking users to convert BUSD to other stablecoins before February 2024. The blog post notes the issuer of BUSD, Paxos, has halted minting the stablecoin and Binance is offering no-fee swaps if customers convert BUSD balances into FDUSD. On Sept. 7, Binance will suspend BUSD loans on cross margins and on Oct. 19, cross-margin and portfolio margin users will no longer be able to transfer additional BUSD as new collateral to the platform’s cross-margin wallet. “Withdrawals of Binance-Peg BUSD tokens via BNB Chain, Avalanche, Polygon, Tron, and Optimism networks will cease [on September 7],”

South African Crypto Premium Surge After Kraken Abruptly Starts Blocking Deposits by Local Residents

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The premium on crypto assets listed on South African exchanges briefly surged to 3.5% after Kraken’s abruptly started blocking deposits from users based in the African country. Some South African crypto experts have linked Kraken’s decision to the Financial Action Task Force’s recent addition of the African country to its greylist. Impact of the FATF’s Greylisting According to a report, the U.S.-based crypto exchange Kraken’s recent decision to stop accepting deposits from South African nationals briefly saw the premium on crypto assets like bitcoin surge to 3.5%. Before Kraken’s announcement, the premium or arbitrage, which is the gap between prices of crypto assets on global exchanges and South African exchanges, had reportedly ranged between 0.7% and 1.5%. As explained in a report published by Moneyweb, Kraken made the sudden decision to block South African deposits after its banking partner placed the African country on its anti-laundering blacklist. Some South African comment

Swiss SEBA Bank Obtains In-Principle Approval to Offer Crypto Services in Hong Kong

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Switzerland-based crypto-friendly SEBA Bank announced it has received an approval-in-principle to operate in Hong Kong. The regulatory nod brings the Swiss bank’s local entity closer to becoming a licensed provider of various services for crypto assets in the Chinese region. SEBA Bank Takes a Step Towards Full Crypto License in Hong Kong SEBA Hong Kong, a subsidiary of the Zug-headquartered crypto bank SEBA Bank, has been issued an in-principle approval by the Securities and Futures Commission ( SFC ) of the Chinese Special Administrative region, the bank said on Wednesday. The approval has been granted for the entity’s application for a license to conduct regulated activities in Hong Kong which will allow it to deal in securities, including crypto-related products such as over-the-counter derivatives and structured products. Backed by the Swiss banking giant Julius Baer, SEBA Bank provides wealth management, investment, and trading solutions for the digital age. A Hong Kong licen

Africa-Focused Remittances Fintech Lemfi Raises $33 Million in Series A Funding Round

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An Africa-focused remittances platform, Lemfi, recently said it has raised $33 million in a Series A round led by Left Lane Capital. Lemfi said it will use the capital raise to “expand its product offering to the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.” Making Remittances Less Complicated Lemfi, an Africa-focused remittances platform, recently raised a $33 million in a Series A round which was led by Left Lane Capital. In a press statement , Lemfi, which has a presence in Canada and the U.K., said it will use the capital raise to “expand its product offering to the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.” In comments accompanying the capital raise announcement, Ridwan Olalere, a co-founder and CEO of Lemfi, seemingly characterized the successful round as an endorsement of the company’s objective of making financial services more accessible to immigrants. Olalere, who claims to have seen first-hand the challenges faced by migrants, also spoke of how Lemfi’s produ

Bloomberg Analysts Boost Spot Bitcoin ETF Approval Odds After Grayscale’s Court Victory

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In early August 2023, Bloomberg ETF specialists Eric Balchunas and James Seyffart estimated a 65% probability for the approval of a spot bitcoin ETF. However, as August draws to its conclusion, and in light of a U.S. court siding with Grayscale over a legal tussle against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the pair have revised their prediction, now pegging the likelihood at 75%. SEC Decision Looms for Seven Spot Bitcoin ETFs Barring any delays, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is poised to either greenlight or turn down seven distinct proposals for a spot bitcoin ETF. These applications hail from notable names like Blackrock, Wisdomtree, Valkyrie, Fidelity, Vaneck, Bitwise, and Invesco. Bloomberg’s senior ETF analyst, Balchunas, conveyed that he and Seyffart have adjusted the odds from their earlier forecast . “James Seyffart [and] I are upping our odds to 75% of spot bitcoin ETFs launching this yr (95% by end of ’24),” Balchunas posted to the soc

Green Bitcoin Mining: Nodal Power Secures $13M for Landfill Gas Conversion

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Utah-based Nodal Power, which specializes in turning landfill gas into energy for powering bitcoin ( BTC ) mining hubs, recently announced a successful $13 million seed round backed by strategic investors. Bryan Black, Nodal’s CEO, stressed the technology’s “potential to make a significant impact on local energy markets.” Nodal Power Raises $13M to Convert Landfill Gas to Bitcoin Mining Energy; Eyes Local Market Impact Nodal Power , a company that converts landfill gas into energy for Bitcoin mining centers, has secured $13 million in seed funding. This technology reduces methane gas emissions from landfills and uses that energy for mining. Nodal combusts the methane, typically flared or vented, with a generator. The resulting electricity is then provided to local utilities and BTC mining operations. Nodal says a significant portion of the funding has been invested in building and operating two power plants in the United States. The first, in the Southeast, uses landfill gas to pr

PYUSD’s Modest Footprint: A Tale of Languid Activity Amidst Stablecoin Titans

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Following Paypal’s declaration about the introduction of a fresh stablecoin, the smart contract address has revealed that the quantity of PYUSD stood at approximately 26.9 million. In the subsequent 22 days, the supply of PYUSD has risen by over 60%, now totaling 43.3 million. Paypal’s Stablecoin Supply Surged by 60%, but the Dollar-Pegged Token Is Nowhere Near Today’s Stablecoin Giants Paypal’s stablecoin has experienced a growth of more than 60% in its supply in under a month’s time. At present, there are 43.3 million PYUSD in existence , and approximately 346 distinct addresses hold PYUSD. Despite the supply increase, the coin has only recorded a scant total of 1,462 transfers since its launch. Moreover, the Paxos-operated contract address holds 34.99 million PYUSD, approximately 80.8277% of the overall supply. Paxos’ Treasury address ranks second-largest, containing 8.7797% of the supply or 3.8 million PYUSD. The third-largest PYUSD holding belongs to Crypto.com, with 2.79 mil

Binance Mulls Leaving Russia, Limits Options for Russian Users

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Crypto exchange Binance considers exiting Russia amid increased scrutiny over its services for users in the sanctioned nation. The news of the potential move comes after the exchange delisted several sanctioned Russian banks from its peer-to-peer (P2P) platform and restricted fiat payment options for Russian traders. Full Russia Exit Is on the Table, Binance Representative Says The world’s leading exchange for digital assets, , is currently reevaluating its Russian business, the Wall Street Journal reported . The process includes the possibility of a full withdrawal from what was an important market for the crypto giant. A spokesperson for the company told the publication: All options are on the table, including a full exit. The statement comes after a WSJ article suggested last week that Binance is facing legal risks over allegedly helping Russians move money abroad despite the platform claiming it has been abiding by Westerns sanctions rules since last year. Following the pu

Shiba Inu’s Shibarium Returns to Full Operation After Navigating Bridge Issues

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The Shiba Inu development team has announced that Shibarium is now fully functional after recent challenges where funds became inaccessible in the bridge. Shiba Inu’s Shytoshi Kusama thanked Sandeep Nailwal, the co-founder of Polygon Labs, who stepped in with crucial resources to address the issue. Shibarium Back Online After Resolving Bridge Glitch, Team Thanks Polygon Co-Founder Two weeks prior, Shibarium had faced difficulties with over $2 million in cryptocurrency deposits trapped in its bridge. However, on August 28, an update was shared via a blog post confirming that Shibarium’s layer two (L2) was back in action. It highlighted that Sandeep Nailwal and the Polygon team were instrumental in resolving the situation. “Quickly after the incident began, I called Sandeep from Polygon directly and without a second thought, he helped provide additional resources to ensure a perfect outcome to the situation,” remarked Shiba Inu’s Shytoshi Kusama. The blog further specified that tr

SEC’s ‘Secret’ Filing in Binance Case Could Relate to Criminal Investigation, Says Former SEC Official

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The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s former head of Internet enforcement suspects that the SEC’s “secret” filing in the Binance case is a “rare” tactic that could relate to the Department of Justice’s criminal investigation against the crypto exchange. He stressed that the securities regulator’s “seal-seeking filing is unusual, odd, and uncommon,” emphasizing that the move “cannot be overstated.” SEC Takes ‘Rare’ Move in Binance Case Former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) official John Reed Stark shared his perspective Tuesday regarding what he called a “secret” SEC filing in its litigation against cryptocurrency exchange Binance in a lengthy post on social media platform X. Stark is currently president of cybersecurity firm John Reed Stark Consulting. He founded and served as chief of the SEC Office of Internet Enforcement for 11 years. He was also an SEC enforcement attorney for 15 years. The former SEC official explained that the securities watchdog filed

UniLend Finance Empowers Community Governance with the Launch of UFTG Token

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PRESS RELEASE. UniLend Finance, a leading decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol is thrilled to announce the launch of its new wrapped governance token, UFTG (UniLend Finance Governance Token) as the revolutionary protocol approaches closer to Governance launch on 4th September. This groundbreaking token signifies UniLend’s commitment to community-driven decision-making and plays a pivotal role in making a decentralized future. However, it’s crucial to clarify that UFTG is a wrapped version of UFT; we are not releasing or transitioning to a new token. UFTG: A Gateway to Empowering Governance Participation UFTG is the governance token that wraps native UFT tokens, enabling users to actively participate in UniLend governance processes. With a seamless 1:1 swap mechanism between UFT and UFTG, UFTG is the cornerstone of our Governance model, offering the key to the door of active community engagement in shaping the future of UniLend. UniLend recognizes the importance of decentralizati

US Congress Members Clash on the Potential Effect of Proposed Tax Rules on the Crypto Industry

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Members of the U.S. Congress have expressed concerns about the possible problems that implementing the newly proposed crypto tax reporting requirements could create in the entire industry. Patrick McHenry, Cynthia Lummis, and others reacted differently to the potential effects of these proposals on decentralized finance platforms and stablecoins. U.S. Congress Members Concerned Over New Tax Obligations for Defi Exchanges and Stablecoins Several U.S. Congress members have expressed concerns over the newly proposed crypto-related tax reporting rule revealed recently by the U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and its possible effect on several elements of the cryptocurrency industry. In a recent post on social media, Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis stated that while she was encouraged by the exclusion of significant parts of the crypto machinery, including miners, stakers, validators, and wallet providers, others were still included in the proposal. Lummis,

FTX Founder’s Expert Witnesses Face Exclusion in Fraud Trial

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The U.S. Department of Justice filed a motion on Monday seeking to bar all seven of Sam Bankman-Fried’s proposed expert witnesses from testifying in the former FTX CEO’s upcoming fraud trial. Federal prosecutors cited issues with the witnesses’ reliability and accused them of improperly offering opinions on Bankman-Fried’s state of mind. DOJ Seeks to Bar All Expert Witnesses in Former FTX CEO’s Fraud Trial In the 39-page motion , the Department of Justice (DOJ) argued the witnesses’ opinions amounted to “an expert patina to inadmissible hearsay testimony about the defendant’s supposed lack of criminal knowledge or intent.” Prosecutors took issue with British barrister Lawrence Akka’s planned testimony interpreting FTX’s terms of service, saying it would confuse the jury and usurp the court’s role in instructing on the law. The DOJ deemed Indiana University professor Bradley Smith’s proposed lecture on campaign finance laws unnecessary and irrelevant. The government also criticized

US Inflation Concerns Put Crypto Market on Alert

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Market observers and investors have worried about the market’s growing volatility after the Fed flagged ongoing high inflation. Of course, the financial system is broken, so if the Fed keeps raising, bedlam is dead ahead. Bitcoin (BTC) has been in a sideways trend for the past few weeks, with prices hovering around $26,000. As shown by CoinMarketCap’s data, many times did the largest cryptocurrency dipped below $25,900 last week, making August its worst month of the year. Ethereum has struggled to rebound above $1,800, the opening mark of the month. The largest altcoin by market cap is traded at $1,633 at the press time, a 2% loss in a day and a 12% loss in a month. Similar losses are also reflected in other top altcoins like Ripple (XRP), Binance Coin (BNB), Cardano (ADA), Dogecoin (DOGE), and TRON (TRX). The biggest gainers are CRO, DYDX, and FIL. CRO is up 4.54%, DYDX is up 3.19%, and FIL is up 3.04%. These altcoins are all seeing strong gains today. Bitcoin’s Worst Month A

Vietnam, the Philippines, and Brunei to Join ASEAN QR Payment System to Reduce Dependence on US Dollar

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Vietnam, the Philippines, and Brunei will join a QR payment system to settle cross-border payments using local currencies within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc. The network, already being used between Indonesia and Malaysia, aims to interconnect all ASEAN nations to reduce their dependence on the U.S. dollar. Vietnam, the Philippines, and Brunei to Join ASEAN Payments System Vietnam, the Philippines, and Brunei will join a payments initiative that aims to connect all countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc, according to Perry Warjiyo, governor of the Central Bank of Indonesia. The payment system, which uses QR codes to simplify the settlement of cross-border payments, uses national currencies to reduce the bloc’s dependence on the U.S. dollar. Warjiyo detailed that Vietnam is currently in talks with the local industry to agree on a national QR system and is expected to join the system later this year, while the Philippines is or

High Proliferation of Crypto Scams in Africa Linked to Limited Educational Efforts — Mitroplus Labs Founder

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According to Ivaibi Festo, the founder of Mitroplus Labs, a crypto and blockchain education organization, cybercriminals continue to find success in Africa because not enough is being done to educate residents on the basics of digital assets or the technology that underpins such assets. To make matters worse, the few African individuals who have made it either as traders or entrepreneurs often lack the desire to help their fellow residents become acquainted with the basics. Using Education to Strike Back Against Scammers However, Festo, who claims to have bought his first bitcoins in 2009, said African governments’ negative disposition as well as the stigma surrounding cryptos and the blockchain industry have helped convince some successful traders and entrepreneurs to reconsider. Meanwhile, the Mitroplus founder told Bitcoin.com News that in addition to educating residents and prospective users, his organization is also working to include regulators and legislators in its classes.

Lawmakers Object to Federal Reserve’s Stablecoin Guidelines — Say They Undermine Legislative Progress

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Several U.S. lawmakers have objected to the Federal Reserve’s stablecoin regulatory guidelines, which they believe “will undoubtedly deter financial institutions from participating in the digital asset ecosystem.” According to the lawmakers, “ The Fed has chosen to effectively prevent banks from issuing payments stablecoins — or engaging in the payment stablecoin ecosystem.” Fed’s Efforts ‘Subvert Progress Made by Congress’ Three U.S. representatives sent a letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell regarding stablecoin regulation last week. The letter, dated Aug. 23, was signed by Patrick McHenry (R-NC), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee; French Hill (R-AR), chairman of the Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion; and Bill Huizenga (R-MI), chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Congressman Hill stated Monday on the social media platform X: I sent a letter alongside Rep. Patrick McHenry and Rep. Bill Huizeng