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41% of Central Banks Expect to Have Operational CBDCs by 2028 — Study
26.12.2023
Some 41% of central banks that participated in the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum (OMFIF) study said they expect to have an operational central bank digital currency (CBDC) by 2028. The survey found that the sentiment towards CBDCs is turning positive with 30% of the respondents...
Seychelles-Based Crypto Exchange MEXC Rejects ‘Baseless’ User Asset Freeze Claims
25.12.2023
The Seychelles crypto exchange MEXC has rejected claims it is unilaterally freezing users’ accounts or “wiping” out their profits. The MEXC team said it opposes ongoing attempts to defame its name and may resort to taking legal action. Baseless Claims The Seychelles-based...
Nigerian Central Bank Lifts February 2021 Crypto Prohibition Order
23.12.2023
The Nigerian central bank has reversed its Feb. 5 order which barred banks and financial institutions from extending their services to crypto entities. The central bank said new guidelines align with the Financial Action Task Force’s updated recommendation 15, which calls for the regulation...
Crypto Payment Provider Alchemy Partners Payment Processor Worldpay
22.12.2023
The fiat-crypto payment gateway Alchemy Pay recently revealed that it has partnered with Worldpay in a move that gives its users to access Worldpay’s Visa and Mastercard payment rails via its on and off-ramp service. Alchemy said its users will now experience better efficiency and customer...
VARA’s New Leadership in Dubai Marks Next Phase of Crypto Regulation
21.12.2023
Source: AdobeStock / Grigory Bruev The hands-on approach by Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA) has enabled it to set a global precedent for regulator-industry cooperation, its executives said. All virtual asset service providers (VASPs) must obtain a license from VARA before...
New EU Sanctions Package Preclude Russians From Owning Crypto Companies
21.12.2023
The European Union said Russian nationals from owning or controlling crypto service providers under the bloc’s twelfth package of restrictive measures against the country. According to the EU, diamonds entering its will now have to be traced from “the mine to the finger” and this...
Coinbase CEO Says an Anti-Crypto Stance is a Bad Political Strategy Ahead of 2024
20.12.2023
Source: a video screenshot Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has said that an anti-crypto stance will be a bad political strategy for the 2024 elections giving reasons why millions of young people are backing digital assets. In a Dec 19 post on X ( formerly Twitter), the Coinbase Chief Executive listed...
Making Privacy Solutions EVM-Compatible Is Key to Integrating Them With Blockchains and Dapps — Guy Itzhaki
20.12.2023
While proponents of fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) have sometimes touted it as a better privacy solution than zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs, Guy Itzhaki, the founder and CEO of Fhenix, said both are cryptographic-based technologies which, when combined, can form a robust and efficient encryption...
Messari CEO Expects Bitcoin to Remain the Unstoppable “Godzilla of Finance” in 2024
20.12.2023
Source: Adobe Stock Messari CEO Ryan Selkis has likened Bitcoin (BTC) to the unstoppable “Godzilla of finance,” emphasizing its enduring position as the leader in the crypto market. In his annual report outlining the key trends within the crypto industry, the crypto boss said...
Zooko Wilcox Ends Eight-Year Association With Company Behind Privacy Coin Zcash
20.12.2023
Zooko Wilcox, the CEO of Electric Coin Co., revealed on Dec. 18 that he is ending his eight-year association with the entity which is behind the privacy coin zcash. Despite leaving his role as the company’s top executive, Wilcox said he remains committed to anything focused on human freedom....
Crypto Industry Funnels $78 Million Into War Chest to Elect Pro-Crypto Candidates in 2024 Elections
20.12.2023
Prominent crypto companies and leaders have contributed to a war chest to support pro-crypto candidates in the 2024 elections, amassing $78 million to date. “The U.S. cannot afford to continue taking a back seat on the global stage. Regulatory overreach (esp from the SEC) is actively moving...
Spot Bitcoin ETFs Poised to Tap $30 Trillion Market, Says Grayscale CEO
20.12.2023
Grayscale Investments expects the approval of spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to allow the $30 trillion advised wealth market to gain exposure to bitcoin. “I do think there is a lot of optimism in the market,” said...
SEC’s Preference Prevails: Blackrock Adopts Cash Model for Spot Bitcoin ETF
19.12.2023
Blackrock, the world’s largest asset manager, has acquiesced to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s preference for the cash creation model rather than the in-kind model for its spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). “Blackrock has gone cash only. That’s basically...
Nigerian Crypto Exchange Describes Deposit Suspension as ‘Industry-Standard Precautionary Measure’
19.12.2023
The Nigerian cryptocurrency exchange platform Bitmama recently said it has temporarily suspended deposits due to “ongoing third-party maintenance.” Bitmama said that while earlier media reports about its suspension of deposits are correct, they nevertheless “lack context,”...
Coinbase Ending ‘Givecrypto’ Initiative — ‘We Were Unable to Create a Lasting Impact’
19.12.2023
Crypto exchange Coinbase is winding down Givecrypto, a nonprofit set up to provide crypto to those in need. “Over the years, Givecrypto distributed cryptocurrency to thousands of individuals in need,” Coinbase said. However, the exchange admitted: “We were unable to create lasting change purely...
Survey: 4 in 5 Institutional Investors Agree Crypto Has Important Role in Global Financial Industry
19.12.2023
An institutional investor survey conducted by digital asset bank Sygnum indicates a shift from skepticism to advocacy, “with over 80% now agreeing that crypto has an important role to play in the global financial industry,” said the bank’s digital asset research manager. “It’s now truly...
Metaverse Firm Improbable Offloads Gaming Subsidiary to Keywords for $96.8 Million
18.12.2023
Source: Pixabay Metaverse startup Improbable has sold its gaming subsidiary, MPG, to Irish video game company Keywords Studios for $96.8 million. The SoftBank-backed metaverse company said in its annual statement published today that it had completed the sale of its games services subsidiary...
Man Fingered in the July 2022 Hack on 2 Decentralized Exchanges Pleads Guilty to Computer Fraud
18.12.2023
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced on Dec. 14 that Shakeeb Ahmed, a man accused of hacking two decentralized crypto exchanges, had pleaded guilty to the charge of computer fraud. Ahmed is said to have attempted to cover his tracks by using overseas crypto exchanges...
Bitcoin Development Platform Tap Protocol Secures $4.2 Million in Funding
18.12.2023
Source: trac.network Bitcoin Ordinals-based development platform Tap Protocol has raised over $4 million in an oversubscribed round, promising more “big” news to come. “We are happy to announce our successful fund raise of $4.2m which was oversubscribed by $13m+,”...
Report: Worldcoin Set to Resume Kenyan Operations in Early 2024
18.12.2023
Worldcoin, the iris biometric crypto project, has reportedly reached an agreement with Kenyan authorities which allows it to resume operations in the African country. Worldcoin representatives are said to be “working directly with regulators to meet Kenya’s requirements.” Worldcoin...