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Bank of Russia Rejects Provision of Crypto-Related Financial Services
7.12.2021
Russia’s central bank has voiced opposition to the provision of financial services related to cryptocurrencies. The monetary authority believes such offerings would go against the interests of Russian investors as they are highly risky. Central Bank of Russia Unwilling to Allow Financial...
Bobby Kotick Actually Wrote Fran Townsend's Deranged, Company-Wide Email
16.11.2021
Earlier this year, an email was sent to all employees of Activision Blizzard from the email account of Chief Compliance Officer, former Executive Sponsor of the ABV Employee Women’s Network and former Torture Apologist Fran Townsend. Sent in the midst of historic allegations of harassment against...
US Treasury Sanctions 2nd Cryptocurrency Exchange, DOJ Seizes $6.1 Million
9.11.2021
The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned a second cryptocurrency exchange “for facilitating financial transactions for ransomware actors.” Two ransomware operators have also been sanctioned and $6.1 million in funds were seized. US Treasury Sanctions Another Cryptocurrency Exchange...
Moscow Confirms Arrest of Russian Crypto Entrepreneur in Amsterdam, Report Mentions FBI
6.11.2021
Authorities in the Netherlands have arrested a Russian national with a cryptocurrency business, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow has confirmed. The man involved in the establishment of two crypto exchange platforms was apprehended earlier this month, reportedly on a request from U.S. law enforcement....
No Plans to Make US Dollar Sole Currency, Zimbabwean Finance Minister Calls Idea ‘Suicidal’
29.10.2021
The Zimbabwean Finance Minister, Mthuli Ncube, recently told business leaders that he is not planning to make the U.S. dollar the country’s sole currency again. Government Focused on Strengthening Local Currency Instead of entertaining those calling for the dollarization of the Zimbabwean...
IMF Partly Blames Uncertainty in Nigeria’s Forex Market for Drop in Remittances
26.10.2021
The uncertainty that prevails in Nigeria’s foreign exchange market is partly to blame for the plunge in cross-border remittances into the country, an official with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said. Covid-19 Another Contributing Factor According to a report by local news outlet...
Russia Considers Partially Replacing Dollar Reserves With Digital Assets in Future
20.10.2021
Amid ongoing sanctions, the government of Russia has been working to limit the country’s dependence on the U.S. dollar. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs now says it’s possible to partially replace the greenback in currency reserves and trade settlements with other currencies and even...
Zimbabwean Dollar Could Collapse, Business Lobby Warns
14.10.2021
A Zimbabwean business lobby group, the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), has warned that the country’s currency could collapse if authorities fail to “implement policy measures that are needed to support it.” Central Bank Approach Unsettling the Market In a letter...
Moscow Not Planning to Ban Russians From Buying Crypto Abroad
13.10.2021
Russia is not going to follow China’s course and does not plan to ban its citizens from purchasing cryptocurrency on foreign exchanges, a high-ranking government official has indicated. Russians will not be able to pay with digital coins in their own country but are free to use crypto...
Nigerian Vice President Says Current Naira Exchange Rate ‘Artificially Low’
12.10.2021
Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo recently warned that the country’s official naira exchange rate of N411 for every dollar is artificially low. This exchange rate, according to Osinbajo, discourages foreign exchange entrance into the country. Naira Exchange Rate Must Reflect Realities...
FBI Arrests Federal Employee Selling Restricted Data on Nuclear Submarines for Cryptocurrency
11.10.2021
A U.S. government employee has been arrested on espionage-related charges after he attempted to sell restricted data on the design of nuclear-powered warships to a foreign government. The federal employee asked to be paid in monero cryptocurrency. “I am very aware of the risks of blockchain...
Cryptocurrencies Have ‘No Intrinsic Value’ Says South African Hedge Fund Guru
4.10.2021
Jean-Pierre Verster, the founder of a South African hedge fund Protea Capital Management, has said he does not believe there is “intrinsic value” in cryptocurrencies. He insists that cryptocurrencies have “elements of a Ponzi scheme” and for that reason, he has...
Nigerian Lawmaker Proposes Closure of All Domiciliary Accounts in Order to Save Imperiled Naira
30.9.2021
Nigerian lawmaker Ibrahim Obanikoro has called on Nigerian authorities to “close all domiciliary accounts for the next 12 months.” Such a move, he argues, will help to ease pressure on the naira, which has depreciated by more than 10% in the past two months. The Naira’s...
Crypto Market Dives as China Continues Crackdown, Singles out Tether & Foreign Platforms
24.9.2021
ment.The crypto market dived following the news. Bitcoin (BTC) dropped by 5% in an hour, hitting USD 43,234 (09:42 UTC), while ethereum (ETH) lost more than 7% of its value, moving below USD 2,900. Other major altcoins dropped by 6%-9%.In a
Remittances to Africa Set to Drop by 5.4 % to $41 Billion — Covid-19 Pandemic and High Sending Costs Blamed
21.9.2021
According to findings from the Continental Migration Report 2021, remittances to African countries are projected to decrease from the $44 billion recorded in 2020 to $41 billion. The Covid Effect As expected, the Covid-19 pandemic is identified as one of the main causes of the decline. However...
Nigerian Currency Plunges to New Low of 570 — 10% of Value Lost in Under 30 Days
17.9.2021
The Nigerian currency, the naira, plunged to a new all-time low of N570 for every dollar on September 16, 2021. This new exchange rate means since August 17, the naira has now lost about a tenth of its value on the foreign currency black market. Naira Overvalued In spite of this plunge, which...
African Economist Says Regulated Cryptocurrencies Are Reasonable Alternative to Single Trade Currency
6.9.2021
A Nigeria-based research and development economist, Gospel Obele, has called “for a unified regulatory mechanism for cryptocurrency trading.” He adds that such regulation of cryptocurrencies can potentially “complement an African digital currency,” hence this needs to...
Bithumb to Ban Foreign Traders Failing Mobile Phone Identification
4.9.2021
South Korean crypto exchange Bithumb said it will deny access to foreigners unable to verify their identities via mobile phone. The decision comes as the trading platform moves to comply with the country’s updated regulations coming into force later this month. Korean Exchange Bithumb...
Biden Administration Pushes Global Crypto Data Sharing Rules in $3.5 Trillion Budget Bill: Report
1.9.2021
The Biden administration is reportedly pushing to include global crypto data sharing rules in the $3.5 trillion budget package. The Treasury wants crypto businesses to report information on foreign account holders “so that the U.S. can share information with global trading partners.”...
Annual US Dollar Remittances to Nigeria Surge to $34 Billion but Forex Woes Persist
31.8.2021
According to a report, the value of annual dollar remittances by Nigerians working abroad has surged to $34 billion, a figure that easily surpasses the previous record-high of $25 billion. Still, a large portion of the funds doesn’t seem to be entering domestic forex markets. Target Attained...