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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...
South Korean City Threatens to Seize Cryptos From Tax Evaders
16.4.2021
Crypto tax evasion is becoming a hot potato for the authorities in some Asian countries, such as Japan and South Korea. A South Korean city is now actively fighting against tax evaders who are suspiciously reporting meager earnings in their filings. 511 Individuals in the Authorities’ Eyes...
F1 2021 Launches July 16 With An EA Sports-Style Story Mode
15.4.2021
EA’s purchase of racing game maker Codemasters means EA Sports has an F1 racing game for the first time since 2003. F1 2021, available July 16 for Xboxes, PlayStations, and PCs, expands career mode to include a two-player option and introduces Braking Point, a narrative-driven story mode that’s...
Nigerian Blockchain Educator Says Uncertain Regulations and Scams Slow Adoption of Cryptocurrencies
15.4.2021
With a population of over 200 million, Nigeria is widely regarded as one the biggest crypto markets in the world. Some in the crypto world believe Nigeria is one of the few countries better placed to see a greater acceptance of digital currencies. However, despite this optimism, the Nigerian crypto...
P2P Bitcoin Trade Volumes Surge in Kenya and Ghana but Nigeria Still Dominates
11.4.2021
According to new data, peer-to-peer (P2P) bitcoin trade volumes in Kenya and Ghana surged in Q1 of 2021, with the two countries now ranked second and third respectively. On the other hand, volumes in South Africa, which occupied second place in 2020, dropped marginally. Consequently, South Africa...
Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary Will Only Buy ‘Clean’ Bitcoins — Says Institutions Will Not Buy ‘Blood Coins’ From China
6.4.2021
Kevin O’Leary, aka Mr. Wonderful, says he will only buy “clean” bitcoins that are mined sustainably in countries that use clean energy. He says institutional investors are concerned about where bitcoins are mined and will not buy “blood coins” from China. Clean...
Jamaica Plans to Pilot a Central Bank Crypto, CBDC to Work Alongside Notes and Coinage
26.3.2021
While a number of countries are working on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), on Tuesday, the Bank of Jamaica (BoJ) announced it will soon be piloting a CBDC project. The BoJ is working with a firm called Ecurrency Mint Incorporated and plans to pilot the cryptocurrency in May. Jamaican CBDC...