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Tether Freezes 32 Suspicious Addresses Linked to Ukraine and Israel Conflicts
16.10.2023
On Monday, Tether, the leading stablecoin issuer, revealed it had frozen 32 addresses allegedly linked to activities involving war, terrorism, and crime. These USDT accounts are said to have ties to suspicious operations in Israel and Ukraine. The firm further disclosed that it is actively...
Agnostic Nature of Blockchain Technology ‘Makes It the Ideal Foundation for Global Travel Industry’ — Pablo Castillo
16.10.2023
Although the travel industry is said to be in great need of digital innovation, according to Pablo Castillo, the CTO of the blockchain-based travel firm Chain4travel, “aviation is the most obvious sector to innovate with blockchain.” To support this assertion, Castillo, a former group...
Ferrari Starts Accepting Crypto Payments for Luxury Sports Cars
15.10.2023
Ferrari has reportedly begun accepting payment in cryptocurrency. The Italian luxury sports car manufacturer cited requests from both the market and dealers as the primary motivation for this decision. “This will help us connect to people who are not necessarily our clients but might afford...
Nigerian Central Bank Lifts Forex Restrictions on 43 Items — Market Forces to Determine Exchange Rate
15.10.2023
The Nigerian central bank said on Oct. 12 that it had lifted foreign exchange restrictions imposed on the importation of 43 items. The central bank said the restrictions initially imposed in 2015 may have contributed to the weakening of the naira on the parallel foreign exchange market. Unifying...
Argentine Peso Plummets as Presidential Candidate Milei Compares It to Excrement, Gets Accused of Causing Bank Run
12.10.2023
The Argentine Peso has plummeted to record lows after Javier Milei, the presidential candidate that several polls give as the winner in the upcoming elections, said its value was lower than excrement. Milei, who has proposed to dollarize the country, ending the central bank, has been accused...
Bank of Ghana Launches Hackathon to Explore Various Use Cases of CBDC
12.10.2023
The Ghanaian central bank said it will be hosting a 12-week hackathon where participants are expected to explore the e-cedi’s nine different use cases. At the end of the hackathon, the central bank will hold a conference where individuals with outstanding solutions are recognized. Addressing...
Nigerian Central Bank Refutes Media Reports Suggesting Its CBDC Poses a Threat to Financial Stability
11.10.2023
The Nigerian central bank has disputed media reports suggesting its Sept. 11, 2023 document implies that its e-naira currency poses a threat to financial stability. The central bank said it felt compelled “to clarify the reports to ensure that misunderstandings are not fostered.” Book...
Cybercriminals Use Dexs and Crypto Cross-Chain Services to Launder $7 Billion — Elliptic
10.10.2023
According to the findings of a research study by Elliptic, cybercriminals are believed to have used crypto cross-chain bridges and coin swap services to launder $7 billion worth of “illicit or high-risk funds.” The Lazarus Group, a cybercriminal organization said to be backed by North...
Gold-Backed Digital Tokens Now an Approved Payment Method Says Zimbabwean Central Bank
9.10.2023
Zimbabwean residents and institutions can now pay or settle domestic transactions using the recently launched gold-backed digital tokens, the central bank has said. Bank governor John Mangudya said the central bank has enlisted the services of external auditors to “validate the availability...
Report: Hong Kong Crypto Exchange JPEX Converts Users’ Funds to an Illiquid Digital Token
7.10.2023
The Hong Kong cryptocurrency exchange JPEX recently converted user funds to a native token known as JPC. According to JPEX, affected users will only be able to cash this token out after two years. One affected user said the crypto exchange did not inform them of the conversion rate used to complete...
Thorswap Halts Operations Amidst FTX Hacker’s Fund Movement; RUNE Drops 8.6%
6.10.2023
The decentralized exchange (dex) Thorswap has paused operations after a series of funds stemming from the FTX hacker was sent to the dex protocol. Thorswap took to social media and said that the team “stands firmly against any and all criminal actions.” Thorswap Pauses Amidst FTX Hack...
Dubai Regulator Blocks the Sale and Distribution of Islamic Coin
6.10.2023
Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) recently said the company distributing and marketing islamic coin (ISLM) lacks the authority to do so. VARA said Bored Gen DMCC must cease marketing activity until it obtains the appropriate approvals. The steps taken by the regulator came...
South African Crypto Exchange Valr Receives ‘Initial Approval’ From Dubai Virtual Assets Regulator
5.10.2023
Valr, the South Africa-based crypto exchange, recently said it had won initial approval from the Dubai virtual assets regulator. The crypto exchange’s Head of Growth, Blake Player, said Valr has been attracted by the Middle East region’s significant crypto flows and in particular Dubai’s growing...
DOJ Clamps Down on SBF’s Regulatory Loophole Defense Amid Ongoing Fraud Trial
4.10.2023
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has asked the judge in Sam Bankman-Fried’s (SBF) criminal case to restrict several planned defense arguments about financial regulations. Prosecutors said in a new court filing that SBF should not be allowed to claim he’s innocent because cryptocurrency...
Crypto Exchange Bybit Launches Derivatives Products in South Africa
4.10.2023
Bybit announced on Oct. 2 that it will be offering its crypto derivatives products in South Africa through Money Doc which acts as the crypto exchange’s “juristic representative.” The crypto exchange said its on-ramp service enables South African users to make deposits in local...
Worldcoin Kenya Controversy: Cabinet Secretary Blasted for Inconsistent Statements About Project’s License Status
3.10.2023
A Kenyan parliamentary committee tasked with investigating Worldcoin’s activities in the African country has reportedly censured a government official over his inconsistent statements about Worldcoin’s license status. The committee also said it found that Worldcoin’s...
Report: Hacked Nigerian Crypto Exchange Raises Capital for User Reimbursements
1.10.2023
The recently hacked Nigerian gift card and crypto exchange platform Patricia said on Sept. 29 that it had raised money to refund users. Some users have reportedly grown impatient with the crypto exchange and are weighing their legal options. Unilateral Conversion of Users’ Funds The Nigeria...
Hashgraph Association in Blockchain Adoption Drive Partnership With Tunisia-Based Dar Blockchain
30.9.2023
The Hashgraph Association and Dar Blockchain recently said they will be working “to nurture projects, facilitate growth, and profoundly shape the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) technology landscape.” The two entities said they hope to achieve the set objectives via meetups...
Coinbase CEO Calls on Chase Customers in UK to Close Accounts After the Bank Says It Will Decline Crypto Payments
29.9.2023
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has slammed JPMorgan’s British retail bank, Chase UK, for changing its policy to block all crypto-related payments. Calling the move by Chase “totally inappropriate,” the Coinbase boss said: “UK crypto holders should close their Chase accounts...
Ripple Retracts Acquisition Plans for Fortress Trust
28.9.2023
Following the letter of intent to acquire Fortress Trust, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse announced the company has decided “not to move forward with an outright acquisition.” Garlinghouse didn’t cite specific reasons for dropping the deal but said Ripple planned to remain an investor...