TokenPost reporter
Mark Jason Alcala
Stories by Mark Jason Alcala
- London is the top crypto hub and the most crypto-ready city in the world
In London, there are 2,173 people working in crypto-based jobs, which is the highest number of employees working in the digital assets industry compared to anywhere else.
· Insights & Views
- South Korea Govt. to start tracking crypto transactions this year
Blockchain data analytics firm Chainalysis estimates that global crypto illicit transaction volume rose to an all-time high of $20.1 billion, up from last year’s estimate of $14 billion.
· Regulation
- Arizona senator wants Bitcoin to become legal tender in the state
El Salvador is the first country to declare Bitcoin (BTC) legal tender but other jurisdictions appear to be set on following its footsteps and plan on making the world’s largest crypto in terms of market cap also decl…
· Regulation
- Crypto ads in South Africa must include warnings of potential loss of capital
Influencers may still be hired to convince potential investors but the new code stipulates that he or she must “share factual information only.”
· Regulation
- Finder’s panel of crypto experts predicts Bitcoin could rise as high as $29,095 in 2023
However, the panel also believes that Bitcoin would retreat from this peak and would be priced at roughly $26,844 per coin by the end of this year.
· Insights & Views
- Crypto to play a major role in UAE’s foreign trade
A high-ranking trade official views crypto as playing a major future role in the country’s foreign trade.
· Regulation
- FBI seizes Bitcoin worth $3.5M from scammers posing as US law enforcement
The scheme, which took place in or around October 2020, involves foreigners posing as agents of American law enforcement.
· Regulation
- Russia, Iran eyeing gold-backed stablecoin issuance
Should the project pushes through, the newly minted token could be used to settle international settlements according to Alexander Brazhnikov, the Executive Director of the Russian Association of Cryptoeconomics, Arti…
· Regulation
- Japan’s regulator wants the crypto sector to be treated similarly to traditional banks
Deputy director-general of the Financial Services Agency’s Strategy Development and Management Bureau, Mamoru Yanase, stressed the need to properly regulate the crypto sectors considering its rapid growth in recent ye…
· Regulation
- Crypto to become a payment option for Vueling Airlines by Q3 2023.
The system will utilize UATP tech, which is the global payments network for airlines. At the moment, Vueling has not yet revealed which cryptocurrencies will be supported by its payment option.
· Business
- Bitcoin soars above $21K for the first time since November 2022
While the crypto market is still technically in the bear market territory, the recent rally shows improving investor sentiment.
· Insights & Views
- SEC files charges against crypto exchange Gemini and lender Genesis
Digital Currency Group (DCG) subsidiary Genesis entered into a deal with Gemini in December 2020 allowing the former to offer Gemini’s customers the yield-bearing crypto product Gemini Earn.
· Business
- Bitcoin soars to $18,000 as BTC continues its week-long winning streak
Bitcoin’s price has surged nearly 8 percent over the last seven days.
· Insights & Views
- Crypto exchange Bithumb under a special tax investigation by South Korea’s tax agency
As part of a compliance investigation, NTS tax investigators searched the crypto exchange's offices in Seoul, the nation's capital, on January 10.
· Regulation
- Crypto exchange Huobi Korea plans to separate from parent firm Huobi Global
Huobi Korean chairman Cho Kook-bong plans to acquire Huobi Global co-founder Leon Li’s share in the Korean company.
· Business
- Bitcoin trading above $17K for the first time in 2023
The entire crypto market capitalization surged by 3 percent in the past 24 hours.
· Insights & Views
- Bank of France governor wants to require crypto firms to secure a DASP license
None of the 60 AMF-registered firms opted to secure a DASP license.
· Regulation
- Hackers demand Bitcoin from Romanian hospital hit by a ransomware attack
The cybercriminals left a message in English demanding a ransom payment of 3 BTC, which is valued at over $50,000 at current prices.
· Technology
- Indonesia to put up its own crypto exchange this year
The decision for setting up a national crypto exchange is part of the government’s broader financial reform which was initiated in December last year.
· Regulation
- Ukrainian pharmacy chain now accepts Bitcoin, crypto payments via Binance Pay
The acceptance of Binance Pay payments will be initially made available in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital.
· Business
- Italy set to impose 26% on crypto gains with the approval of its 2023 budget law
The new law also allows total crypto losses in a tax period above 2,000 euros to be counted as tax deductions.
· Regulation
- Here’s why boomers are better crypto investors
34 percent of boomers spend “a few days” doing due diligence on a crypto project before making an investment decision.
· Insights & Views
- Australia surpasses El Salvador in the total number of crypto ATM installations
Data from CoinATMRadar revealed that Australia installed 99 crypto ATMs in the last three months of 2022.
· Insights & Views
- MicroStrategy Bitcoin holdings soar to 132,500 BTCs as it buys more of the crypto
MicroStrategy Inc. clarified in its SEC filing that the company acquired the additional 2,500 BTCs between November 1 and December 24, 2022.
· Business
- Russia’s Sber Bank launches gold-based crypto assets on its blockchain
The coins were minted for Solfer, a holding company with expertise in precious metals manufacturing and trading.
· Business
- HSBC files trademark for crypto, NFT, metaverse-related products
The British banking giant recently filed trademark applications for digital currency products and services with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
· Business
- California issues warnings against 17 crypto brokers and websites suspected of fraud
According to the DFPI, the complainants claimed to have lost anything from $2,000 to as much as $1.2 million in certain instances.
· Regulation
- Ukrainian-born cyber expert donates Bitcoin that he stole from a Russian darknet market
The stolen crypto, which was eventually donated to the Kyiv-based Enjoying Life humanitarian foundation, was valued at over $25,000.
· Technology
- Mark Cuban wants Bitcoin’s price to fall so he can buy more
While he sees BTC as a good investment, Cuban stresses that he is not telling people to buy it.
· Insights & Views
- NFT users targeted by North Korean hackers in large-scale phishing operation
The phishing campaign has been going on for a while; the earliest registered domain name was roughly seven months ago.
· Technology
- Bitcoin and Ether price indexes now added to Twitter’s search feature
At the moment, it appears that the new feature only shows the price charts of the top two cryptos Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH).
· Technology
- Bank of Russia to test crypto in cross-border payments
The trials will be carried out with interested companies but it was not mentioned which market participants will take part in the pilot.
· Regulation
- Nigeria to recognize Bitcoin, Ether, and other cryptos
Once the Investments and Securities Act 2007 (Amendment) Bill is signed into law, it will allow the country’s Securities and Exchange Commission to “recognize cryptocurrency and other digital funds as capital for inve…
· Regulation
- Crypto exchange FTX failed because of rival Binance, Kevin O'Leary tells U.S. Congress
The Shark Tank star shared his views on the collapse of the crypto exchange FTX on Wednesday during a congressional hearing titled “Crypto Crash: Why the FTX Bubble Burst and the Harm to Consumers,” which was held bef…
· Regulation
- CFTC files lawsuit against the co-founder of crypto exchange FTX Sam Bankman-Fried
The regulator alleges that Bankman-Fried and his inner circle took loans from Alameda amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars.
· Regulation
- More gamers want to earn BTC in games rather than NFTs
More gamers want to earn BTC in games rather than NFTs
· Insights & Views
- Bitcoin, gold, and silver investors will get richer, says Kiyosaki
The collapse of the crypto exchange FTX has pushed prices of digital currencies such as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) even lower this year. However, the author of the best-selling personal finance book “Rick Dad Poor …
· Insights & Views
- Crypto exchange Coinbase asks customers to convert their USDT to USDC
While the debate on how to audit reserves continues, there is a “stablecoin war” going on between exchanges.
· Business
- Belfort expects Bitcoin and Ethereum to substantially rise higher
Meanwhile, for investors who already own other cryptos, Belfort suggested that they should take a good look at each coin and decide whether they should be sold or not.
· Insights & Views
- Russian bank Sber plans to integrate its blockchain with Ethereum and Metamask
The bank stated that the integration will give developers more options and give users new opportunities related to tokens and smart contracts.
· Business