A paper published by the European Central Bank (ECB) discusses various conditions for successful implementation of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) such as the eurozone’s own digital euro. The authors also point to different risks that such projects entail, like the danger of crowding out the private sector. ECB: Digital Euro Should Be Widely Used for Payments, Not Investment In…
In her monthly Expert Take column, Selva Ozelli, an international tax attorney and CPA, covers the intersection between emerging technologies and sustainability, and provides the latest developments around taxes, AML/CFT regulations and legal issues affecting crypto and blockchain. On Nov. 14, Tezos-based nonfungible token (NFT) marketplace Hic Et Nunc — which in Latin means “here and now” — abruptly shut…
Bitcoin (BTC) traded near $47,000 on Dec. 4 after a sudden crash confirmed bulls’ worst nightmares with 22% daily losses. BTC/USD 1-day candle chart (Bitstamp). Source: TradingView Crypto liquidations pass $2.5 billion Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD hitting local lows of $41,960 on Bitstamp — its lowest since Sep. 30. As panic set in, leveraged positions unwound…
A recent paper authored by members of several universities, including Sydney and Macquarie, argues that recent changes in Ethereum monetary policy are making it a better store of value than bitcoin. The deflationary effect that the EIP-1559 proposal has caused in the issuance of the currency is said to be the main cause of this. Ethereum in the Spotlight…
Bahamian-based cryptocurrency exchange FTX released a list of principles and proposals to help policymakers build the regulatory framework. The policy recommends the market-structure choices made by several leading crypto exchanges and suggests its implementation across all jurisdictions. FTX shared the “FTX’ s Key Principles for Market Regulation” blog after Maxine Waters, the chair of the House Committee on Financial Services,…
Binance has named three former housemates from the popular Nigerian reality television show “Big Brother Naija” as the cryptocurrency exchange’s brand ambassadors for the African continent. Bringing Crypto to the Mainstream Leading cryptocurrency exchange Binance has said as part of its plan to increase its foothold on the African continent, it has partnered with three former Big Brother Naija housemates.…
Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele announced the purchase of 150 BTC as the market price momentarily slipped below $50,000 after losing over 15% in market value. The Republic of El Salvador has procured 150 Bitcoin (BTC) amid the biggest bear market since Bitcoin attained an all-time high of nearly $68,000 back in the first week of November. El Salvador just bought…
Bitcoin (BTC) has suddenly fallen below $47,000 on Dec. 4, losing nearly 20% in the past 24 hours. This makes this the biggest one-day drop since May 15, when Bitcoin price momentarily came down to nearly $33,000. The market price of BTC fell down 26.4% from week-long support of $57,206 to go down to $42,268 before recovering back to the…
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has seized bitcoin worth more than $2.2 million tied to ransomware payments. The cryptocurrency allegedly belongs to an affiliate of Gandcrab and Revil/Sodinokibi ransomware. US Seizes Bitcoin Worth Over $2 Million The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has seized almost 40 bitcoins from a Russian resident tied to Revil and Gandcrab ransomware, according to…
Can open-source blockchains be coercive? In a recent debate between Erik Vorhees and Alex Gladstein, Vorhees asserted that “there is nothing in Ethereum that is based on coercion, period.” Vorhees went on to clarify: “I have a pretty high standard of coercion. It’s basically like physical violence or the threat of physical violence, or theft or breach of contract. Those…
