The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)—the city-state’s financial services regulator—has told crypto companies to stop advertising their products to the public. Digital payment token (DPT) companies, as they are described in Singapore, “should not portray the trading of DPTs [definition slug= “cryptocurrencies”]cryptocurrencies[/definition] in a manner that trivializes the high risks of trading in DPTs, and should not promote their DPT…
Month: January 2022
Crypto.com pauses withdrawals due to ‘suspicious activity’
Major crypto wallet and platform Crypto.com has temporarily halted withdrawals after “a small number of users reporting suspicious activity on their accounts,” but all funds are reportedly safu at the moment. We have a small number of users reporting suspicious activity on their accounts. We will be pausing withdrawals shortly, as our team is investigating. All funds are safe. —…
Singapore bars crypto service providers from advertising in public spaces
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) issued a new set of guidelines for digital payment token (DPT) providers, barring them from marketing their services in public areas. The guidelines, which were issued on Jan. 17, also warned the general public of the high risks associated with the crypto market in addition to prohibiting DPT companies from advertising their services in public…
Tonga accepts Bitcoin donations amid tsunami onslaught
On Friday, the Kingdom of Tonga experienced the shockwave of a massive volcanic eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai volcano. More eruptions ensued after the first, leaving the citizens of Tongatapu, the main island of Tonga, to face down a tsunami. Amid the difficulties, crypto holders expressed their sympathy and intent to donate Bitcoin (BTC) to help with the relief operations. Twitter…
Most Defi Hacks in 2021 Had to Do With Centralization Issues, According to Certik – Defi Bitcoin News
Certik, a blockchain security and auditing firm, has reported that the most common attack vector for hacks in decentralized finance (defi) protocols had to do with centralization in 2021. This data is present in Certik’s latest report, where the company also examines the growth of defi in 2021, and how other chains such as Avalanche and BSC rose as alternatives…
70% of Jamaica population to adopt CBDC in 5 years, prime minister says
Central bank digital currency (CBDC) evolved into a hot topic in Jamaica when the country’s central bank successfully completed the first pilot test in early January. Following the tests, the country’s prime minister, Andrew Holness, has spoken confidently about CBDC adoption in the country. Holness has predicted the majority of the Jamaican population would be quick to adopt the digital…
BTC ‘likely’ to repeat Q4 2020 move — 5 things to watch in Bitcoin this week
Bitcoin (BTC) starts a new week facing multiple hurdles but with strong internal support — can old resistance below $50,000 finally fall? A correction event now almost in its third month is frustrating many, but conditions may soon be right for a fresh charge against opportunistic bears, an increasing number of analysts are saying. With inflation running hot and United…
EY advises banks to ‘prepare for what’s coming’
Big Four accounting firm EY has recommended that banks should change their regulatory perimeter to address the oncoming launches of state-backed central bank digital currencies (CBDC) and private stablecoins. EY’s 2022 Global regulatory outlook highlighted the need for a policy change that can help financial services firms overcome business uncertainties amid mainstreaming of digital assets and cryptocurrency. While acknowledging the…
Former Thai SEC chief lays out three critical issues with crypto taxations
A former deputy secretary-general of Thailand’s Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), Tipsuda Thavaramara, has come out to question the legitimacy of crypto taxation in the country. According to a report by local newspaper The Nation, the comments from the former SEC chief come amid Thailand’s Revenue Department’s decision to discuss taxes for cryptocurrency trading. While praising the Revenue Department’s decision…
Bitcoin payments decline as other cryptocurrencies grow
BitPay Inc., one of the world’s most well-known crypto payment processors, has seen a shift in the type of digital assets used for purchases over the last year, according to a Bloomberg report. According to Bitpay, Bitcoin’s (BTC) usage at businesses that use its payment system fell last year to about 65% of processed transactions, down from 92% in 2020.…