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Bitcoinization: JPMorgan Notes ‘Similarly Situated’ Countries Could Make Bitcoin Legal Tender Like El Salvador
13.6.2021
JPMorgan struggles to “see any tangible economic benefits associated with adopting bitcoin as a second form of legal tender.” Commenting on El Salvador’s bitcoinization, JPMorgan did not rule out that the country’s move to make the cryptocurrency legal tender may...
Crypto Payments App Bottlepay Is Now Available Across Europe
9.6.2021
U.K.-based crypto payments provider Bottlepay has started offering services in other European countries. Users on the Old Continent will be able to send and receive even small amounts of euro and also buy, store and spend bitcoin with merchants accepting cryptocurrency. Bottlepay Promises Low-Cost...
Members of East Africa Community Explore Potential Use of CBDC for Alternative Regional Payment System
9.6.2021
Six East African states are reportedly set to explore the possibility of using central bank digital currencies (CBDC) as an alternative to their shared payment system. The six countries, which are all members of the East Africa Community (EAC) trading bloc, are hoping this alternative will create...
Mexico lawmakers aim to follow the example of neighboring countries with proposed Bitcoin legislation
8.6.2021
“We are going to lead the shift to crypto and fintech in Mexico,” said one senator
Small countries are punching above their weight in terms of Bitcoin gains
7.6.2021
Chainalysis tracked total U.S. dollar gains made by Bitcoin investors in 2020. The country comparison was drawn from an analysis of web traffic on various cryptocurrency exchanges
K-pop Group Enhypen Is Sorry About World Map That Omitted Japan
31.5.2021
Just as K-pop group Enhypen is making a big push around the world, the group has ruffled feathers in Japan for merch that didn’t include, well, Japan. Read more
Crypto Savings Platform Ledn Raises $30 Million in Latest Funding Round
28.5.2021
Ledn, a cryptocurrency lending and savings platform based in Canada, has managed to raise $30 million in its latest funding round. The money raised will be used to expand its offer of lending products, and to expand its reach in more countries. Ledn could take advantage of the recent problems that...
Iran Is Using Bitcoin Mining to Circumvent Sanctions, According to Elliptic
23.5.2021
Iran is using Bitcoin mining to circumvent and lessen the effect of the economic sanctions that the U.S. and other countries have applied to the country since 2006, according to a new study by Elliptic, a blockchain analytics and financial crime compliance firm. The country is indirectly using...
Six People Connected to a $36M Crypto Scam Arrested, Scheme Operated From Multiple Locations in Europe
18.5.2021
Authorities in Germany launched a massive operation that cracked down on a sophisticated crypto scam, resulting in the arrest of six people in different European countries. Initial reports state that such a fraudulent scheme stole over $36.2 million worth in virtual currencies from individuals...
Report: South African Taxes and Smuggling Behind Gold’s Price Distortions in Zimbabwe
18.5.2021
Despite gold’s longstanding status as an alternative store of value, the commodity continues to experience unusual price variations in countries like South Africa and Zimbabwe. In turn, such price variances, as well as the rampant smuggling of the commodity, are distorting the precious...
Official Remittance Inflows to Zimbabwe Surged to $1 Billion After Covid-19 Restrictions Forced Migrants to Use Formal Channels
13.5.2021
Cross border remittances into Zimbabwe surged to $1 billion in 2020, more than a 36% increase from the $636m that was recorded in 2019. This surge in remittances occurred despite the “steep decline in economic activity in host countries, which in turn made it difficult for migrants in...
Cybersecurity Firm Spots a Crypto Stealer Distributed Through a Massive Email Spam Campaign and Discord Channels
13.5.2021
A crypto stealer seems to have spread through a massive spam campaign across several countries, including the United States, Australia, Japan, and Germany. The malware dubbed “Panda Stealer” has been spotted by a cybersecurity company. It is reportedly also distributed on Discord...
Mastercard Payment Index: More Consumers in Three African Countries Plan to Use Crypto Based Payment Methods
12.5.2021
According to a recent Mastercard payment index report, the Covid-19 related lockdowns helped spread the use of cryptocurrency in three African countries, namely Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa. The report also reveals that a greater number of consumers from these countries are “likely to...
Mastercard Finds 4 in 10 People Plan to Use Cryptocurrency in the Next Year
5.5.2021
Global payments giant Mastercard has conducted a survey of 15,569 consumers in 18 countries and found that 4 in 10 people plan to use cryptocurrency in the next year. Meanwhile, 93% of people will consider using at least one emerging payment method, such as cryptocurrency. Mastercard’s Crypto...
Spain to Share Data of Users From Domestic Crypto Businesses With European Union Countries
5.5.2021
The Spanish government doesn’t stop imposing its tough stance on cryptocurrencies, as another rule comes to strengthen the existing ones. A royal decree recently enacted aligns current regulations with the European Union’s directives regarding anti-money laundering (AML). Rule Aligns...
Digital Yuan Launch Draws Near: JD.com Employees Paid in e-CNY, Tencent, Ant, Mastercard Engage With PBoC
4.5.2021
China, the world’s most populous country, has jumped leaps and bounds in comparison to a great number of other countries when it comes to the creation of a central bank digital currency. As each day passes, China’s digital yuan is seemingly getting closer to large-scale adoption,...
A South African NFT Marketplace Officially Launches After Trial Phase Nets Over $10,000 for Rugby Star Bryan Habana
2.5.2021
A South African non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace, Momint has officially launched following the end of the two-week trial phase which saw the artwork of former rugby player Bryan Habana fetch over $10,000. More than 800 people from 25 countries took part in the auction. The Momint marketplace...
Some African Crypto Users See Bitcoin as an Alternative Source of Retirement Income
1.5.2021
Bitcoin use cases in African countries continue to expand with the latest one being its use as an alternative source of retirement income. On a continent plagued by high inflation and unstable currencies, bitcoin, which is decentralized and censorship-resistant, is seen “as a safer source...
Finder’s Bitcoin Prediction Survey Shows Respondents Forecast Six-Digit BTC Prices
27.4.2021
The comparison website that operates in 83 countries, finder.com, has recently published its quarterly bitcoin price prediction report for 2021 and the panellists are very optimistic about bitcoin’s future value. A number of Finder’s panel of 35 fintech specialists believe that bitcoin...
US Lawmaker Warns Treasury Secretary and Fed Chair Not to Ignore Bitcoin or America Will Fall Behind
18.4.2021
Congressman Kevin McCarthy has urged Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell not to ignore bitcoin like they have been trying to do. He believes it is the future, emphasizing, “I do not want America to fall behind” other countries. Government and...