TokenPost reporter
Mark Jason Alcala
Stories by Mark Jason Alcala
- Singapore-based crypto exchange unfazed by regulatory uncertainties and enters Indian market
Recently, there were speculations that the government could impose a ban on private crypto based on a bulletin posted on the Indian parliament’s website Lok Shabha.
· Regulation
- El Salvador’s decision to make Bitcoin legal tender worries Bank of England
El Salvador made history when the country decided to make Bitcoin legal tender on September 7 this year.
· Insights & Views
- South Africa’s NFT adoption projected to rise to 17.8%
The same study also revealed that the top three countries in terms of NFT adoption globally come from Southeast Asia with the Philippines leading the pack.
· Insights & Views
- Kiyosaki buying Bitcoin, Ether, gold, and silver as inflation worsens
The "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" author urged investors to get smarter and richer while suggesting a diversified portfolio that includes precious metals and crypto.
· Insights & Views
- Russians among world’s most active crypto traders, says Bank of Russia
The country's monetary authority estimates that the annual volume of crypto transactions in the country is worth around $5 billion.
· Regulation
- Crypto, CBDC, stablecoins, digital payments will lead to the demise of physical cash, says economist
However, Eswar Prasad believes that no single technology by itself would be able to unseat cash dominance.
· Insights & Views
- Metaverse annual revenue could soar to $1 trillion
The gaming sector is seen as one of the catalysts for the future expansion of the Metaverse economy.
· Investing
- Lok Shabha update suggests India might ban private crypto
Some experts believe the government might impose strict regulations but not impose an outright ban on crypto.
· Regulation
- Crypto trading by citizens now allowed in Uzbekistan
The government is now allowing its residents to trade crypto as long as it’s done on licensed trading platforms.
· Regulation
- U.K. banks will need to adapt to CBDC but a digital pound won’t likely arrive before 2025
British lenders still have a lot of time to make adjustments as a digital pound isn’t likely to arrive within three years.
· Regulation
- South Korea’s FSC recommends criminal liability for crypto market manipulation
The country’s top financial regulator wants the National Assembly to bring criminal liability to price manipulations, insider trading, and other unfair behavior.
· Regulation
- eToro to remove cryptos ADA and TRON for U.S. users in December citing evolving regulatory landscape
The Israeli exchange announced that it will be delisting Cardano's ADA token and the TRON Foundation's TRON for U.S. users citing regulatory concerns.
· Business
- Commonwealth Bank of Australia sees bigger risks in not participating in crypto
The bank will launch a crypto service that allows its customers to trade in popular cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), and Litecoin (LTC) via its app.
· Insights & Views
- Crypto traders’ accounts closure or blocking by Nigerian banks questionable, says BICCON
The group pointed out that there are no existing laws criminalizing crypto in the country.
· Regulation
- Citigroup to hire 100 for new crypto-focused team targeting institutional clients
With its planned hiring spree, Citigroup has joined other traditional banks in their efforts to try to tap the growing crypto sector.
· Business
- Crypto is here to stay, says Australia‘s Minister for Financial Services and the Digital Economy
Senator Jane Hume said that crypto is not a fad and encouraged Australia to forge its own trail in this area.
· Regulation
- Bitcoin preferred store of value asset over gold by a growing number of fund managers
Many managers now view the crypto as better than the precious metal as an inflation hedge and store of value.
· Insights & Views
- Speculative demand for crypto could reverse, warns Reserve Bank of Australia
Investors could soon be less influenced by fads and FOMO while the high energy usage in Bitcoin and Ethereum mining, as well as crypto's potential use in crime, could increase regulatory scrutiny.
· Regulation
- Bloomberg Intelligence recommends a mix of Bitcoin, gold, and bonds to beat inflation
A combination of these three asset classes could be the best bet as the mix would likely outperform others in 2022.
· Insights & Views
- Williston City installs first government hosted crypto ATM in an airport
Passengers and non-travelers alike can now use it to buy and sell cryptos supported by the machine including Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Dogecoin (DOGE), Shiba Inu (SHIB), and Cardano (ADA).
· Technology
- Brave rolls out crypto wallet built into its browser for desktop users
However, since the wallet works mainly with Ethereum-based blockchains, some of the other popular cryptos such as Bitcoin and Dogecoin might not be available at the moment.
· Business
- 3 Fed governors see no need in issuing a CBDC
While some countries are already in various stages in the development of their central bank digital currencies, three Federal Reserve governors said that there is no reason for the Fed to issue its own CBDC.
· Regulation
- $56 million in crypto to be liquidated by the U.S. Justice Department
The Justice Department said that the liquidation is the “largest single recovery of a cryptocurrency fraud by the United States to date.”
· Regulation
- Intense regulation on Bitcoin and other cryptos could arrive next year, warns Kyle Bass
The chief investment officer and founder of Hayman Capital Management also believes in the staying power of blockchain technology and NFTs but is still uncertain about the longevity of private cryptos such as Bitcoin …
· Insights & Views
- Allianz economist who sold his Bitcoin before it reached $60K says he’ll buy again once speculators are ‘shaken out’
El-Erian bought in 2018 when BTC plunged to almost $3,000 but sold it in late 2020 when the crypto recovered to around $19,000 per coin.
· Investing
- Lawmaker wants to ban crypto ads from London’s transport network
Sian Berry argued that the transport system should not be used to market unregulated and risky schemes to London’s commuters.
· Regulation
- Bitcoin, Ethereum, other cryptos now account for 10% of Kevin O’Leary’s portfolio
While the Shark Tank star started 2021 with around 3 percent of his portfolio in cryptocurrencies, the crypto market’s rally has increased the percentage of his holdings in terms of value.
· Investing
- Bitcoin could reach $500K per coin as BTC could rise exponentially, says Anthony Scaramucci
Scaramucci believes that Bitcoin could rise at an exponential rate as gold continues on its linear growth.
· Insights & Views
- Bitcoin miner Bitfarms expands capacity with $26M acquisition of Washington 24MW crypto mining facility
Bitfarms announced that it bought the Washington facility for $26 million paid for by a combination of cash and common shares.
· Business
- Crypto exchange WazirX posts $38B trading volume as its user base grows 10x in 2021
WazirX reported that crypto trading volume coursed through its platform soared to over $38 billion since the start of 2021, representing an average monthly growth of 44 percent
· Business
- Bitcoin sets new ATH above $69K after Labor Department released its consumer price index report
BTC’s price surged by around $2,500 or 4 percent in less than an hour after the Labor Department released its report.
· Investing
- Mastercard partners with crypto service providers to launch crypto-funded cards in Asia Pacific
Interest in cryptocurrencies in the APAC region has significantly risen since last year as 45 percent of respondents said that they are likely to consider owning crypto next year, up from last year's 12 percent.
· Business
- Crypto exchange Huobi Global classifies Singapore as restricted jurisdiction
Existing Singapore-based users are given until the first quarter of 2022 to close their accounts.
· Regulation
- Bitcoin could rise to $150K but investors must limit their BTC exposure, says crypto trader
Todd Gordon said that investors should get exposure in crypto but also cautioned that they should allocate only a small portion of their portfolios to digital currencies
· Insights & Views
- Canada-based Bitcoin miner Bitfarms to put up Argentina’s largest BTC mining facility
With its 210 megawatts power capacity, the Bitcoin mining facility will become the largest crypto mining farm in Argentina once it goes online.
· Business
- Total crypto market cap rose more than $3T, up 294% since the end of 2020
Led by the recent rally of the world’s most popular cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH), the crypto market just set a new milestone this week.
· Insights & Views
- Bitcoin and Ethereum set new ATHs as BTC breached $68K while ETH soared past $4.8K
Bitcoin just set a new record on November 9, 2021, when it traded at $68,525.84 as Ether similarly set a new record at $4,839.92 per coin.
· Insights & Views
- Bitcoin could rise above S140K amidst renewed interest in BTC as a hedge due to inflation concerns
Even if only a tiny percentage of investors decide to shift their precious metal allocation to BTC, it would significantly boost Bitcoin’s market cap.
· Insights & Views
- Solana’s market cap overtakes Tether and Cardano as crypto soars more than 15,000% this year
Investors see SOL as one of the top competitors against ETH, as the Ethereum blockchain grapples with issues such as congestion and high gas fees.
· Insights & Views
- South Korea won’t regulate NFTs as they are not considered virtual assets
The Financial Services Commission (FSC) said that non-fungible tokens won’t be regulated as it does not consider NFTs virtual assets.
· Regulation