newsbtcarea

The Indian government is exploring “several commercial use purposes and not just financial inclusion” for its central bank digital currency. India’s finance minister clarified that the aim is for the digital rupee, which will be backed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), to be issued by 2023. India’s Finance Minister on RBI-Backed Digital Currency Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman talked about the country’s central bank digital currency (CBDC), the digital rupee, this week at a business roundtable on “Investing in India’s Digital Revolution” in San Francisco. The event was organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), a non-governmental trade association and advocacy group based in India. It was hosted by the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF). Reiterating that the government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) aim to introduce India’s central bank digital currency in 2023, the finance minister described: The government

Investors will be focused on the U.S. central bank this Wednesday as Federal Reserve policymakers are expected to raise the benchmark interest rate aggressively. The top U.S. stock indexes saw significant losses at the end of the week, and the Nasdaq composite saw its worst four-month starting performance since 1971. Crypto markets have had a rough week as well, as the crypto economy has shed 8.99% against the U.S. dollar since April 25, dropping from $1.967 trillion to $1.79 trillion. Fed Expected to Raise Benchmark Interest Rate Aggressively, Dutch Bank ING Predicts a 50bp Hike and a QE Tightening Announcement A number of financial institutions, analysts, and economists expect the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) will raise interest rates next week in an aggressive manner. Reuters’ authors Lindsay Dunsmuir and Ann Saphir reported on Friday that there may be “big Fed rate hikes ahead” and the authors also cite two reports that claim “hot inflation is peaking.” “U.S. Federal R

Switzerland’s central bank, the Swiss National Bank, says buying and holding bitcoin as a reserve currency is not a problem for the bank. “We can arrange the technical and operative conditions relatively quickly, when we are convinced we must have bitcoin in our balance sheet,” the chairman of the Swiss central bank reportedly explained. Switzerland’s Central Bank on Buying and Holding Bitcoin as a Reserve Currency The Swiss National Bank could buy and hold bitcoin as a reserve currency if the cryptocurrency meets the bank’s currency reserves requirements, Chairman Thomas Jordan reportedly said at the central bank’s annual general meeting Friday. The Swiss central bank chief was quoted by Reuters as saying: Buying bitcoin is not a problem for us. We can do that either directly or can buy investment products which are based on bitcoin. However, he noted: “But from the current perspective we do not believe bitcoin meets the requirements of currency reserves. That’s why we have un

Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, says that he does not particularly like crypto but will defend your right to invest in it. However, he sees benefits in some aspects of digital currency. JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon on Crypto, Digital Currency JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon talked about cryptocurrency in an interview with KMTV 3 News Now in Omaha Friday ahead of the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meeting this weekend. Commenting on cryptocurrency, including bitcoin, the JPMorgan boss said: I always say I don’t particularly like it. I defend your right to do it. I’d say be very, very careful how much money you put into it. However, Dimon sees benefits in some aspects of crypto, such as its technology, admitting that the banking industry has its inefficiencies. The executive opined: Not all of it is bad. If you said to me ‘I want to send $200 to a friend in a foreign country,’ that could take you two weeks and cost you $40. You could do it through a digital currency an

Only a small share of cryptocurrency transactions have illicit purposes and the use of digital coins in illegal activities is for the most part a myth, a high-ranking Russian lawmaker has recently stated. Andrey Lugovoy, who is one of the deputies working on new crypto regulations, also said Russia can become a global leader in crypto mining. Russian Developers Working on Software Detecting ‘Dirty’ Cryptocurrency The illegal use of cryptocurrencies is largely a myth, according to Andrey Lugovoy, a member of the working group on crypto regulation at the State Duma, the lower house of Russian parliament. “According to the largest crypto exchanges, no more than 4 to 6% of the cryptocurrency turnover is involved in illegal activities,” the lawmaker told Parlamentskaya Gazeta. Lugovoy, who is also deputy chairman of the security and anti-corruption committee, pointed out that there are effective tools to identify wallets that are employed for illicit purposes such as those offered by

The World Bank has said it expects the price of gold to rise by 3% in 2022 but warned the price might fall sharply if the Russian central bank decides to offload large quantities of the commodity. The Russian Factor After the price of gold surged past the $2,000 mark in early March, a new World Bank report now predicts the commodity’s value will only grow by just 3% in 2022. The bank, however, said it expects prices of commodities like food — which have risen by 84% — and crude oil to stay elevated for much of 2022. While some gold supporters have predicted the price of the metal will likely hit a new all-time high, in its report, the World Bank is instead expecting a possible sharp price fall in 2023. The bank points to the possible offloading of large quantities of gold by Russia as one possible factor that will weigh down the price. “In the longer term, gold prices could be affected by the Bank of Russia’s policies, and should it engage in large gold sales, prices could drop ma

Digital asset exchange Binance has blocked accounts tied to relatives of government officials in Moscow. Amid mounting international penalties over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the trading platform said it will continue to check for users associated with sanctioned individuals. Crypto Exchange Binance Bans Children of Top Russian Figures Binance, the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange, has blocked several accounts linked to relatives of some high-ranking members of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s administration, Bloomberg reported. The move comes as sanctions continue to rain on Russia in response to its military assault on neighboring Ukraine. Among the users who have been denied access in the past two months since the Russian troops crossed the Ukrainian border are the stepdaughter of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Polina Kovaleva, and Elizaveta Peskova, the daughter of the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Binance also banned Kirill Malofeev, the son of Russian oligarc

PRESS RELEASE. LBank Exchange is an innovative crypto assets trading platform with 6.4 million global users. Since the start of its journey, LBank Exchange has continuously expanded in the global market, serving users in over 210 countries and regions worldwide, with features including spot and grid trading, derivatives, finance, NFT marketplace, and many more. For better catering to users’ needs, LBank Exchange has strived to select better, more promising projects for listing and to classify them in a more orderly manner. To make user’s investment experience even smoother, LBank Exchange recently announced a brand new feature called Innovation Zone for spot trading projects, which will soon be launched on its platform. New projects with growing potential that are lesser-known compared to popular projects will be gathered in Innovation Zone, so that users can make their investment choices more easily and wisely, as well as providing a place where these projects can truly shine. Fo

Eric Schmidt, a former Google CEO whose net worth is $22.8 billion, reveals that he has put “a little bit” of money into cryptocurrency. He added that he finds Web3’s economics “interesting,” noting that the platforms and the use patterns are interesting. Ex-Google Chief Eric Schmidt Discusses Crypto Investing and Web3 Former Google CEO and Chairman Eric Schmidt talked about cryptocurrency investing and Web3 in an interview with CNBC, published Thursday. Schmidt served as the CEO of Google from 2001 to 2011. He stayed on as executive chairman until 2017 and technical advisor until 2020. His net worth is currently $22.8 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index. Regarding his own crypto investment, he revealed that he has invested “a little bit” of money into cryptocurrency, without naming any coins specifically. He further clarified that he’s just getting started investing in crypto. The 67-year-old explained that for him, the most interesting part of blockchain is Web

Global investment bank Goldman Sachs has reportedly offered its first-ever loan backed by cryptocurrency. The cash loan was collateralized by bitcoin owned by the borrower. A spokesperson for Goldman Sachs explained that the deal is interesting to the investment bank due to its structure and 24-hour risk management. Goldman Sachs and Bitcoin-Backed Loans Global investment bank Goldman Sachs has offered its first-ever cash loan backed by bitcoin ( BTC ), Bloomberg reported Thursday. A spokeswoman for the bank explained to the publication that the secured lending facility lent cash collateralized by bitcoin that is owned by the borrower. She further noted that the deal was interesting to Goldman Sachs because of its structure and 24-hour risk management. Goldman Sachs has been increasingly friendly to cryptocurrency. In March, the investment bank featured cryptocurrencies, the metaverse, and digitalization on its homepage. The firm sees the metaverse as an $8 trillion opportunity .

The Argentinian government has taken the first steps in the launch of its own central bank digital currency (CBDC). A new decree identified the number 207/2022 gives new faculties to the Argentinian mint to involve in the investigation, development, and issuance of digital currencies. This puts Argentina on the trail of countries like Brazil and Mexico, that are already involved in the development of their e-currencies. Argentina Prepares the Field for a CBDC The government of Argentina is preparing the legal field for future issuance of its own central bank digital currency, the digital peso. In a decree approved and published on April 26 with the number 207/2022, the Argentinian government modified the functions and faculties of the national mint, giving it new responsibilities and possibilities. In these new faculties, the decree includes capture and digital processing of data, images, codes, sounds, and microchips, software design and development, implementation of digital sec

On April 29, photography-focused tech start-up Picture This is finally launching the ‘Polar Bear’ NFT, which raises awareness and money towards climate change and the impact humans have on our planet. Digital artworks have seen a booming rise in sales and popularity since the start of the decade. Minting art as an NFT has enabled artists to reach audiences in ways earlier not fathomable. Now, the photography community is finally entering the NFT space. One devotee is Christian Houge. For decades, the artist’s dramatic photography has provoked a strong emotional response from international museums and art institutions like the California Museum of Photography, Auction Paris, and Three Shadows Photography Art Center in Beijing, among others. This week, Houge is officially expanding his internationally renowned art from gallery walls to the blockchain. — At first, I was naturally sceptical of NFT art, being an analogue ‘old school’ photographer working for years to finalise my clim

PRESS RELEASE. Artizen is a metaverse specialised company based on blockchain technology. We are preparing metaverse services by integrating various contents through NFT Marketplaces, NFT Projects and more. Artizen’s unique ecosystem, which is transparent and safe, is provided by organically linking real and virtual spaces. ATNT is a utility token from Artizen, which has its initial listing on MEXC. Announcement on MEXC: https://support.mexc.com/hc/en-001/articles/6030143038745–Initial-Listing-MEXC-will-List-ARTIZEN-ATNT-and-Launch-the-MX-DeFi-Session News on Smart Liquidity: https://smartliquidity.info/2022/04/24/artizen-mx-defi-mining-session/ Punk Panda Is a Genesis Project Containing Its Own Unique Rarity These 2D NFT pandas will be converted into 3D pandas so that you can enjoy P2E (Play to earn) on metaverse. You can also obtain ATNT tokens through mining as well as enjoying various membership benefits. TPP Mining Game for Everyone to Enjoy, Targeted for Launch by the

Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says that the country’s crypto policy will not be rushed. “Our intention is in no way to hurt the ecosystem, or to even say that we don’t need it,” she added. Finance Minister on Indian Crypto Regulation India’s finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, discussed cryptocurrency regulation Wednesday at a fireside chat organized by Stanford University School of Medicine. She explained that India will not rush to finalize the country’s crypto policy. On the contrary, she said India will take an informed decision after due deliberations across multilateral fora, the Mint reported. Sitharaman admitted that blockchain technology has the potential to improve India’s economy. “Blockchain is full of potential not just in the payments arena but also in many others,” she described, adding: Our intention is in no way to hurt the ecosystem, or to even say that we don’t need it, but to define for ourselves how we need them and in what ways their growth s

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the country’s central bank and the regulator of the crypto sector, says that its licensing process for digital asset service providers needs to be stringent. “It needs to be because we want to be a responsible global crypto hub with innovative players, but also with strong risk management capabilities,” said the central bank chief. Singapore’s Crypto Regulation Needs to Be ‘Stringent’ Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) Managing Director Ravi Menon talked about cryptocurrency regulation at the Financial Times Crypto and Digital Asset Summit Wednesday. The central bank chief raised concerns regarding the risks of investing in crypto assets to retail investors, Bloomberg reported. Noting that crypto could be used for money laundering and terrorism financing, Menon emphasized: The licensing process is stringent. And it needs to be because we want to be a responsible global crypto hub with innovative players, but also with strong risk mana

Grayscale Investments, the world’s largest digital asset manager, is expanding into Europe. “We’re going to be very thoughtful, very methodical about each of the financial centers and financial hubs that we ultimately launch in,” said the CEO. Grayscale Entering Europe The world’s largest digital asset manager, Grayscale Investments, is getting ready to expand into Europe, CEO Michael Sonnenshein told Bloomberg Tuesday. He explained that decisions have yet to be made regarding which exchanges, which products, and which countries Grayscale will target first. The executive revealed that he has been meeting with various local partners to discuss the launch timeline, adding that the company plans to run a series of pilot tests in different markets. “Although the EU is unified, we don’t view the entire European market as in fact one market,” Sonnenshein described, elaborating: Instead we’re going to be very thoughtful, very methodical about each of the financial centers and financial

PRESS RELEASE. For a gaming community to complete 4 years in the crypto gaming industry is a remarkable achievement to say the least. CropBytes was launched during the 2018 bull run, and the team’s strategy and agility towards changing market scenarios and needs of the community have enabled the game to sustain and grow over the years. What started out as a NFT based game with initial flash sale, is now a game with a sustainable economy with a mix of FTs and NFTs with over 550k downloads and adequate liquidity is the market. With the first few months fo launching the assets in erly 2018, the initial version of the game was launched which was a big hit and it drew attention of the early adopters of crypto-based games. As the players grew, so did the demand for game assets and goods in the game. This set the ball rolling for the expansive game economy we see today. B uilding a web3 games for the Bulls & the Bears When the game’s acceptance grew and more players began to hold ass

According to a research report, $1.3 billion in digital currencies have been stolen during the first quarter of 2022. The study, published by cryptomonday.de researchers, further highlights that 97% of the stolen funds derived from decentralized finance (defi) protocol exploits. Defi Exploits Account for Lion’s Share of Stolen Crypto This Year 2022 is already breaking records in terms of stolen cryptocurrencies from hacks and exploits. Last year, $3.2 billion in digital currencies were stolen and so far, 2022 has recorded over 40% of 2021’s aggregate during the first quarter alone. The recorded stolen crypto data stems from a report published by cryptomonday.de and the study’s author, Elizabeth Kerr. The report’s author says “the numbers signify a major spike.” For instance, out of the $1.3 billion in digital currencies stolen this year, 97% of the funds were taken from defi protocols. In Q1 2021, only 72% of the stolen funds derived from defi and in 2020, the number was as low a

Comparing the rise of crypto assets to the gold rush, a top executive at the European Central Bank has urged governments to take action to prevent “a lawless frenzy of risk-taking.” Speaking in the U.S., the ECB official called for a global regulatory clampdown on cryptocurrencies and stepping up efforts to issue central bank digital currencies. ECB’s Fabio Panetta Lashes Out at Crypto Assets, Says They Fail to Fulfill Promise A century and half after Americans pushed westward to seek fortune, a growing distrust of banks and technological innovation have led to a new, digital gold rush beyond state control, Fabio Panetta, member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank (ECB), said in a recent address at Columbia University in New York. In his speech, which the eurozone’s monetary authority published this week under the title “For a few cryptos more: the Wild West of crypto finance,” the high-ranking ECB official remarked that the cryptocurrency market is now larger than

Cambodian authorities have reportedly said that no cryptocurrency company has been issued a business license yet, and that conducting cryptocurrency-related activities in the country is still illegal. Fintech Industry Growing Rapidly The Cambodian government has not greenlighted the issuing or use of any cryptocurrency in the country, a report has said. The report, which cites a document recently released by the Ministry of Finance and Economics, said it is still illegal to create, distribute, or trade cryptocurrencies in Cambodia. According to a China News Service report , while the ministry does concede that the fintech industry is growing rapidly, it nonetheless reiterated that the long-standing ban on crypto trading remains in force. As previously reported by Bitcoin.com News, Cambodian authorities announced in 2018 that the circulation or trading of cryptocurrencies without a license was illegal. At the time, authorities warned that crypto activities had the potential to cau

The Nepal Telecommunications Authority has issued a warning that crypto activities are illegal. The regulator emphasized that websites, apps, and online networks related to crypto activities are prohibited to be used, operated, or managed within the country. Nepalese Regulator’s Crypto Warning Nepal’s regulator of the technology sector, the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), issued a notice Monday warning the public about engaging in illegal activities, specifically naming cryptocurrency, bitcoin, and online gambling. Noting that transactions using digital technologies, such as cryptocurrency, have been on the rise in Nepal, the NTA stressed that websites, apps, and online networks related to crypto activities are prohibited to be used, operated, or managed within the country. The regulator proceeded to warn the public that activities involving cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, are “illegal and criminal,” elaborating: If anyone is found to be doing or have done such ac

Deutsche Bank’s economists have warned that the U.S. will suffer a major recession next year. However, several other major investment banks, including Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan, are less pessimistic about the future outlook for the U.S. economy. Major US Recession Incoming, According to Deutsche Bank’s Economists Deutsche Bank has predicted a deeper downturn than its previous forecast for the U.S. economy in a report to clients, published Tuesday. The bank’s economists, including David Folkerts-Landau, group chief economist and head of research, explained in the report why the coming recession will be worse than expected. They described: We will get a major recession, but our strongly held view is that the sooner and the more aggressively the Fed acts, the less longer-term damage to the economy there will be. The report explains that it will take a long time before inflation falls back to the Fed’s goal of 2%. The authors warned that the central bank will likely engage in the

The Bank of Spain has issued a new report that touches on the subject of the popularity of cryptocurrency usage and the possible effects it might have on the financial stability of the nation. In the document, the bank explains that these assets — which ostensibly don’t have any kind of support behind them — can introduce systemic risks via their adoption by traditional institutions and the lack of regulation over them. Crypto Assets Could Cause Systemic Risks According to the Bank of Spain The Bank of Spain has issued a new report where it warns about the growth of the cryptocurrency economy and its possible effects on the traditional economic system. According to the report, while the cryptocurrency market is still considered limited, its exponential growth and the fact that most of the value of the market comes from cryptocurrency assets without support, could pose risks for the global economy. This “systemic risk” is explained by the growing links between crypto and the tradit

The AFIP, the Argentinian tax agency, is supporting the creation of a centralized system that serves as a registry for cryptocurrency holders. According to statements from its head, this would make it easier for tax agencies all over the world to curb evasion. The organization has already made use of financial information to collect taxes from Argentinian users with bank accounts abroad. Argentinian Tax Agency Backs Crypto Holder Registry Creation The AFIP, which is the Argentinian national tax collecting agency, wants to advance its efficiency in the collection of crypto-related taxes. In this sense, the organization has voiced its public support for creating a cryptocurrency holder registry, by making changes to include the digital assets in the current automatic exchange data system operated by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The head of the AFIP, Mercedes Marco del Pont, stated at an event that: It is necessary to include electronic money, d