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Banks Not Getting Anticipated Benefits From Rate Hikes, ECB Executive Admits
19.5.2023
Eurozone banks are profitable but the benefits from higher interest rates may be smaller than expected, according to the deputy head of the single currency area’s monetary authority. The official noted that while most of the tightening has been done already, more rate increases are to come. Euro...
Bitpay Ceases Prepaid Mastercard Program, Promises Enhanced Card Service in the Future
19.5.2023
Cryptocurrency proponents in the United States are facing increasing challenges when it comes to utilizing digital assets for expenditures. Several crypto companies have encountered difficulties in securing banking partners. This week, Bitpay, a prominent player in the crypto payments sector, made...
Russia and Iran Phasing Out US Dollar in Bilateral Trade Settlements
19.5.2023
The governments of Russia and Iran are starting to phase out the usage of the U.S. dollar to conduct bilateral trade settlements. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak stated that 80% of Russia-Iran trade transactions are settled using national currencies and that they are considering also...
Digital Ruble Law Likely to Be Passed in June According to Russian Official
19.5.2023
The digital ruble law project, which was already discussed and approved in its first reading, could be passed in June, according to Anatoly Aksakov, chairman of the Duma’s Financial Markets Committee. The Bank of Russia is currently waiting for the enactment of this ruleset to conduct a live test...
Binance Halts Deposits and Possibly Withdrawals for Aussie Users After Being Cut Off by Australian Payment Service Provider
19.5.2023
Binance Australia said on May 18 that it is “unable to facilitate PayID AUD deposits for Binance users” due to a third-party payment service provider’s decision to discontinue support for the crypto exchange. Binance Australia said while it works to find an alternative, users...
Hong Kong Launches Digital Currency Pilot With 16 Firms Including HSBC, Bank of China, Alipay
19.5.2023
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has announced the commencement of its e-HKD pilot which “will take deep dives into potential use cases in six categories.” The pilot paves the way for “the possible implementation of a retail central bank digital currency (CBDC),” the central banking...
Venezuela’s President Declares Inevitable Shift Away From US Dollar in De-Dollarization Push
19.5.2023
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has announced that Venezuela will shift away from using U.S. dollars in trade, emphasizing that the de-dollarization process is “inevitable.” He described: “This is the path of Venezuela and the path of a free economy where currencies are not used...
Rate Hikes Affecting Housing Markets in Eurozone, United States, ECB Study Shows
19.5.2023
Interest rate hikes in the euro area are already causing a decline in housing investment, the zone’s central bank revealed in a study. While smaller than in the United States, the impact of the monetary policy tightening on the Old Continent is likely to grow further, the regulator expects. Housing...
Litecoin Network Surges With Activity as Ordinal Inscriptions Drive Transaction Volume
18.5.2023
Based on recent data, the Litecoin (LTC) network has seen a considerable surge in activity due to an increase in Ordinal inscription minting happening on its blockchain. The cryptocurrency’s value has risen by more than 13% in the past week, although it has dipped more than 4% within...
FTX Executives Sue Co-Founders Amidst Failed FTX Stocks Project
18.5.2023
Court documents filed on May 17, 2023, reveal that current executives overseeing FTX and its subsidiary, Alameda Research, have initiated a lawsuit against Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of FTX, Nishad Singh, FTX’s former director of engineering, and Zixiao “Gary” Wang...
US Bitcoin Corp Secures Hosting Agreements for 150,000 Bitcoin Miners
18.5.2023
On Thursday, the bitcoin mining company U.S. Bitcoin Corp revealed the firm has successfully secured hosting agreements with five different companies to install 150,000 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) bitcoin miners. The bitcoin mining machines will be hosted in data centers situated...
Unidef Introduces Decemount to Expedite Global Shift to Decentralization
18.5.2023
PRESS RELEASE. Dubai, UAE — May 18, 2023 – Today, Unidef (unidef.org), a global network of organizations focused on hastening the global shift to a decentralized future, proudly unveils its latest initiative, Decemount. This ambitious project seeks to fund and empower talented individuals...
Biggest Movers: XRP Extends Bull Run, Jumping 5% on Thursday
18.5.2023
Xrp rose for a fifth straight session on Thursday, as the token moved close to a two-week high. The rise comes as cryptocurrencies rebounded from recent losses, with the global market cap up 1.38% as of writing. Cardano also surged, hitting an 11-day peak. XRP Xrp, formerly ripple, was once again...
Regulatory Battle: Grayscale Challenged by SEC’s Designation of Filecoin as Security
18.5.2023
Grayscale Investments, the largest digital currency asset manager by assets under management, made an announcement on May 17 regarding a comment received from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). According to the SEC, the crypto asset filecoin qualifies as a security under federal...
Bitcoin, Ethereum Technical Analysis: BTC Sees Strong Rebound, as Biden Holds Debt Ceiling Talks
18.5.2023
Bitcoin rebounded on Thursday, as markets responded to news that U.S. President Joe Biden held positive talks regarding the debt ceiling. Biden reportedly met with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, in a bid to find an agreement. Ethereum also rose, moving back above $1,800. Bitcoin Bitcoin...
Report: North Korea Affiliated Cybercriminals Stole $721 Milion Worth Crypto Assets From Japan
18.5.2023
Between 2017 and 2022, hacking groups affiliated with North Korea are thought to have stolen crypto assets worth $721 million from Japan alone. According to the findings of a study by Elliptic, hackers were primarily focused on Japan and Vietnam because operators from the two countries had...
Pakistan to Ban Online Services Related to Cryptocurrencies
18.5.2023
Authorities in Pakistan intend to prohibit all internet-based crypto services despite significant digital-asset investments made by Pakistanis. The decision comes as government officials in Islamabad take a strong stance against the legalization of cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. Crypto ‘Will Never...
Brazilian President Lula Ends Fuel Price Peg to the US Dollar, Announces Wholesale Discounts
18.5.2023
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio ‘Lula’ da Silva has announced that state oil company Petrobras will not be using US dollar-based international prices to set its internal fuel pricing structure. The “Brazilianization” of the industry determines discounts for distributors...
Investors Seek Refuge in Cash as Recession Fears Mount, BOFA Survey Reveals
18.5.2023
Investors, plagued by mounting pessimism, have sought refuge in cash, according to a recent survey conducted by Bank of America. The survey highlights a notable 5.6% increase in cash reserves during May, as apprehensive investors brace themselves for a potential credit crunch and a recession....
Report: Well Known Crypto Firms Still Not Adhering to Basic Governance Standards
18.5.2023
Many of the most well-known crypto firms are not adhering to basic governance standards, the findings of a Bloomberg survey have shown. Only 31 out of the 60 polled firms “currently procure a full financial audit or reserve attestations from an independent auditor.” Industry...