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Swiss Resort Town Zermatt Accepts Bitcoin for Government Services
30.1.2020
Zermatt, a municipality in Switzerland at the foot of the Matterhorn known for its ski resort, has started accepting bitcoin for government services. The Zermatt town hall now has a point-of-sale solution, installed by Zug-based Bitcoin Suisse, to accept the cryptocurrency. A spokesperson for...
Crypto Exchange Zebpay Announces Relaunch in India Ahead of Supreme Court Decision on RBI Ban
30.1.2020
Zebpay is returning to India more than a year after closing down local crypto exchange operations due to the banking ban imposed by the central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Under a new leadership team, the exchange has also revealed a number of upcoming new services, including...
Paris Saint-Germain Teams up With Cryptocurrency Exchange Platform CoinCasso
29.1.2020
Paris Saint-Germain and cryptocurrency exchange platform CoinCasso have joined forces in a multi-year international partnership, with the virtual currency giant becoming an Official Partner of the Parisian club in all markets outside of France. CoinCasso is a blockchain specialist and will now...
India Unveils National Blockchain Strategy, Calling on RBI to Issue Digital Currency
29.1.2020
India’s National Strategy on Blockchain has been published. It recommends, among other things, for the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to issue a central bank digital currency. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology tasked the National Institute for Smart Government with drafting...
Deutsche Bank Report: Digital Yuan Could Upset Global Power Balance, Plastic Will Die, Cash Survive
29.1.2020
A new report from Deutsche Bank Research, Digital Currencies: the Ultimate Hard Power Tool, predicts that cash payments will remain for decades, but the emergence of digital payments “will lead to the death of the plastic card.” The report, which is the third installment in a series...
Hearing Concluded: Indian Supreme Court Deliberates on Crypto vs RBI Case
28.1.2020
The Indian supreme court has finished hearing the crypto vs. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) case. The hearing concluded on Tuesday with the counsel for the Internet and Mobile Association of India wrapping up his arguments, followed by arguments by the counsel representing crypto exchanges. The court...
Dubai Launching Crypto Valley in Tax-Free Zone
26.1.2020
A Dubai government authority has announced that it is launching a crypto valley in the country’s free zone there is no personal or corporate income tax. With the help of its partners from the Swiss crypto valley, Dubai will offer a variety of services such as incubation for startups...
Indian Prime Minister Modi Awards Young Entrepreneur for Cryptocurrency App
26.1.2020
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has awarded a young entrepreneur for her cryptocurrency price tracking application while the government is still deliberating on the country’s crypto policies. News.Bitcoin.com caught up with the award recipient to find out more about her app....
Leading Swiss Stock Exchange Offers 12 Crypto Exchange-Traded Products With One That Shorts Bitcoin
25.1.2020
Switzerland’s principal stock exchange, SIX Swiss Exchange, now has 12 cryptocurrency exchange-traded products listed. The latest addition, the 21shares Short Bitcoin, allows investors to profit from falling prices of the digital currency. Other listed crypto products include those that track...
Iran Issues More Than 1,000 Cryptocurrency Mining Licenses
25.1.2020
The Iranian government has reportedly issued more than 1,000 licenses for cryptocurrency mining since it began regulating the industry. A number of large mining farms have set up in the country, but high electricity tariffs have kept many small investors away. Also read: Regulatory Roundup —...
Panic Withdrawals at Indian Bank Over Alarming KYC Notice
24.1.2020
Hundreds of customers went on a withdrawal spree after an Indian bank announced its revised KYC requirements. The bank’s action followed the decision by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to include the National Population Register letter as a valid KYC document for opening bank accounts....
Indian Supreme Court Warms Up to Crypto – RBI’s Arguments Not Convincing
23.1.2020
India’s supreme court heard the crypto case on Thursday, starting with the arguments by the counsel for the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). After pointing out that the RBI ban only hurts crypto businesses but does not stop crypto trading, the court explained that “being an honest...
Regulatory Roundup: New US Crypto Tax Bill, Central Banks Join Forces on Digital Currencies
23.1.2020
In this roundup, we cover an exceptionally busy week for crypto regulations around the globe. We start our coverage with the U.S. Virtual Currency Tax Fairness Act of 2020, actions by the SEC, Ripple’s lawsuit, India’s supreme court hearings, Australia green-lighting a bitcoin retail...
Crypto vs RBI: Exchange Counsel and RBI Take Center Stage at Supreme Court Today
22.1.2020
India’s supreme court spent all day on Wednesday hearing extensive arguments from both the counsel representing crypto exchanges and the central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The counsel for the central bank confirmed again that cryptocurrency is not banned in India, but still...
RBI Confirms Crypto Not Banned in India
21.1.2020
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has confirmed that cryptocurrency is not banned in India. During the latest supreme court hearing of the crypto case, the central bank’s reply to the Internet and Mobile Association of India was read out in detail. The RBI clarified that it only fenced in...
Indian Minister Inaugurates Blockchain Center of Excellence in Bengaluru
21.1.2020
A Centre of Excellence in Blockchain Technology has been inaugurated by Indian Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in Bengaluru. It will facilitate various government departments in their blockchain work, leading to large scale deployment of blockchain applications. Also read: Regulatory Roundup:...
Maduro Opens Crypto Casino in Venezuela
20.1.2020
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has authorized the opening of a casino at a luxury hotel in Caracas where bets must be placed in petros, the country’s national oil-backed digital currency. Several cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies can be exchanged into petros to wager in...
New Bill in Oklahoma Proposes Depository for Cryptocurrencies Used by Government
19.1.2020
A bill has been introduced in the U.S. state of Oklahoma to establish a new type of state-chartered financial institution that will be “the central depository for virtual currency used by governmental agencies in this state.” The new establishment aims to provide financial and technical...
Malaysia Announces Digital Asset Guidelines
19.1.2020
The Securities Commission Malaysia has published the country’s guidelines on digital assets which set out the regulatory framework for token sales. All token offerings must now be carried out only through platforms approved by the commission. The guidelines also detail the obligations...
Crypto Experts Join OECD ‘High Level’ Advisory Board
19.1.2020
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, an intergovernmental body with 36 member countries, has formed “a high-level expert group” which includes executives from the crypto industry. They will provide advice in helping develop international blockchain policy...