Crypto
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Hal Finney’s wife resumes activity on Bitcoin pioneer’s Twitter account to avoid potential purge
Fran Finney, the wife of computer scientist Hal Finney — the recipient of the first transaction on the Bitcoin blockchain from Satoshi Nakamoto — reactivated her late husband’s Twitter account amid concerns Twitter CEO Elon Musk might purge the content from the social media platform due to inactivity. Many Crypto Twitter users reported on Dec. 16 that Finney’s account registered activity for the first time in more than 12 years. Some speculated that a hacker might have taken control of the Bitcoin (BTC) pioneer’s account and it’s more than 71,000 followers, but Fran quickly stepped in to dispel rumors. “I am tweeting for Hal […] to avoid his account being purged by Elon,” said Fran. I want to keep Hal’s account active, and occasionally will be posting from his account. When I d...
The outcome of SBF’s prosecution could determine how the IRS treats your FTX losses
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has received official criminal charges after the collapse of his cryptocurrency exchange, which is more than just a moral victory for the exchange’s roughly 1 million individual investors. While not locked in yet, things appear to be on track for these investors to take a more favorable tax position as SBF’s fate continues to unravel. What kinds of losses can FTX investors claim on their taxes? Earlier this fall, it appeared that assets lost in the FTX collapse would be considered a capital loss under the United States tax code for the tax year 2022. This capital loss can be used to offset capital gains. But in a year in which the crypto market took a beating as a whole, most investors will not have capital gains to offset in 2022. A capital loss can also be u...
No more proof-of-reserve checks? Auditors quietly drop crypto projects from portfolios
As the FTX collapse highlighted the need for more transparency from centralized crypto exchanges, working with auditors has been the move by top crypto trading platforms to assure users that their assets are fine. However, two of the most prominent auditors have suddenly dropped their crypto auditing services, leaving exchanges hanging at a very crucial time. At the moment, the official website of the French auditing firm Mazars Group shows that its section, called Mazars Veritas, which is dedicated to crypto audits is now offline. The firm worked with several of the most prominent crypto exchanges including Binance, KuCoin and Crypto.com. While there’s been no official announcement from Mazars at the time of writing, Binance confirmed that the auditing firm has indicated that it’s t...
Web3 community shares tips for a successful GameFi project
As the GameFi space continues its journey to attract gamers to a new gaming paradigm, community members shared their takes on what they think a mature GameFi project needs to succeed. From creating e-sports competitions with huge prize pools to making the game tokens more relevant for the token holders, GameFi community members shared their takes on what the space needs. One Reddit user suggested that GameFi projects need to appeal to several target audiences. This includes whales who will provide funding, earners who are mostly kids and people from developing countries and those who play for fun that will leave good reviews for the game. Another community member pointed out the need to improve the reputation of the space. According to the Redditor, there are some that consider GameF...
Only for foreign trade: Bank of Russia stands against free crypto investment
Russia’s central bank is ready to consider allowing cryptocurrency use within the country, but only as part of a legal experiment, said governor Elvira Nabiullina. “It’s possible to consider transactions through an authorized organization in the country as part of an experimental legal regime, but that would require a relevant law,” Nabiullina stated during a Bank of Russia press conference on Dec. 16. The Bank of Russia’s primary objection to crypto has always been that it cannot be used as a payment instrument, Nabiullina emphasized. She added that the central bank is also concerned about investor protection because the crypto market is highly volatile. While Russia formally does not prohibit its people from investing in crypto, the Bank of Russia believes that the mass adoption of crypt...
Raydium is attacked, loses $2M
Solana-based decentralized finance protocol Raydium has suffered an exploit, according to a statement from the developer. An initial investigation by the team revealed that the attacker took over the exchange’s owner account. The team said that “authority” over the automated market maker and farm programs has been paused “for now.” Twitter user and researcher ZachXBT reported that the attacker has bridged $2 million to Ethereum “so far.” An exploit on Raydium is being investigated that affected liquidity pools. Details to follow as more is known ⁰Initial understanding is owner authority was overtaken by attacker, but authority has been halted on AMM & farm programs for nowAttacker accnthttps://t.co/ZnEgL1KSwz — Raydium (@RaydiumProtocol) December 16, 2022 This is a breaking story and w...
New House Financial Services Committee chair wants to delay crypto tax changes
The incoming United States House Financial Services Committee chair, Patrick McHenry, wants the Treasury to delay implementing a section of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that deals with digital assets and tax collection. McHenry sent a letter on Dec. 14 to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen with questions and concerns about the scope of Section 80603 of the act. In the letter, he requested clarification over the “poorly drafted” and potentially privacy-compromising section that deals with the taxation of digital assets, scheduled to go into effect next yea. He said the section requires the government to treat digital assets as the equivalent of cash for tax purposes, which could “jeopardize” the privacy of Americans and hamp innovation. The section, called “Information...
Japan set to ease 30% crypto tax on paper profits for token issuers
The Japanese government is set to ease tax requirements for local crypto firms, as it pushes to stimulate growth in the domestic finance and tech sectors. At present, Japanese firms that issue crypto are required to pay a set 30% corporate tax rate on their holdings, even if they haven’t realized a profit through a sale. As such, a number of domestically founded crypto/blockchain firms and talent have reportedly chosen to set up shop elsewhere over the past few years. Japan’s ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) tax committee held a meeting on Dec. 15 and approved a proposal — initially tabled in August — which removes the requirement for crypto companies to pay taxes on paper gains from tokens that they have issued and held. The softer crypto tax rules are expected to be sub...
Charges laid over alleged ‘crypto mining’ Ponzis that netted $8.4M
United States prosecutors have laid charges in two separate cases against nine people who founded or promoted a pair of cryptocurrency companies alleged to be Ponzi schemes that netted $8.4 million from investors. On Dec. 14 the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York unsealed the indictment, alleging the purported crypto mining and trading companies IcomTech and Forcount promised investors “guaranteed daily returns” that could double their investment in six months. In reality, prosecutors say both firms were using the money from later investors to pay earlier investors, while other funds were spent on promoting the companies and buying luxury items and real estate. “Lavish expos” were held in the U.S. and abroad, along with presentations in small communities, that lur...
Silvergate faces class-action lawsuit over FTX and Alameda dealings
A class-action lawsuit against Silvergate Bank, Silvergate Capital Corporation and Silvergate CEO Alan Lane was filed at the California Southern District Court concerning accounts held by embattled crypto companies FTX and Alameda Research. The suit aims to hold Silvergate accountable for its alleged roles in placing FTX user deposits into the bank accounts of Alameda, which caused panic within the crypto market, eventually leading to both firms declaring bankruptcy. The lawsuit was filed by the plaintiff Joewy Gonzalez on behalf of himself and others in the same situation. According to the suit, the plaintiff invested his savings in crypto through the FTX exchange as the platform promised investors that they were able to “store assets securely as they gained in value, cash them out ...
Dutch central bank says KuCoin is not licensed and ‘illegally offering services’
The central bank of the Netherlands, De Nederlandsche Bank, has issued a warning to investors using KuCoin, saying the exchange was operating without legal registration. In a Dec. 15 announcement, the central bank said that MEK Global Limited, or MGL, which does business in the Netherlands as KuCoin, was not in compliance with the country’s Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) regulations. De Nederlandsche Bank added the crypto firm was “illegally offering services” as well as “illegally offering custodian wallets” for users. “Customers of MGL are not in violation,” said the bank. “However, this may increase the risk of customers becoming involved in money laundering or terrorist financing.” DNB warns against MEK Global Limited, doing business as K...
The VC-dominated crypto funding model needs a reboot
Does the crypto industry’s funding space need an overhaul? This is one of many questions swirling in the wake of FTX’s downfall: When the prominent exchange collapsed, it left behind a long line of helpless creditors and lenders — including many promising projects dependent on funds promised by Sam Bankman-Fried and company. But there is a bigger problem at the heart of the current funding picture, wherein deep-pocketed venture capital firms throw their weight around in the low-liquidity Web3 market, heavily backing early-stage projects before cashing out at a profit once retail has FOMO’d into the market. For all the talk of how blockchain and cryptocurrencies represent a critical fiat off-ramp and a wholesome pathway towards greater decentralization, transparency, fairness and incl...
