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Bitcoin Lightning Network capacity strikes 5,000 BTC
Bear markets are for building out capacity on the layer-2 Lightning Network. Despite macroeconomic headwinds and sluggish price action, the Lightning Network, the layer-2 payments solution fo Bitcoin (BTC), continues to flourish. The Bitcoin Lightning Network reached a milestone capacity of 5,000 BTC ($96 million). In effect, more and more Bitcoin is being introduced to Lightning Network payment channels worldwide, as Bitcoiners continue to support the growth of the network. Bitcoin Lightning Network capacity. Source: Look into Bitcoin The Lightning Network allows users to send Bitcoin (or satoshis, the smallest amount of a Bitcoin) to send or receive money faster and with lower fees. The more capacity on the network, the more liquidity is on hand. As a result, users can experience faster ...
What remains in the NFT market now that the dust has settled?
Over the last two years, nonfungible tokens (NFTs) have emerged as one of the most active and noticeable aspects of Web3. The data stored on blockchains by NFTs may be connected with files that include various forms of media, such as photographs, videos and audio. In certain instances, it can even be related to physical items. The owner of an NFT will often have ownership rights over the data, material or item connected with the token, and these tokens are typically purchased and traded on specialized markets. The rise of NFTs was meteoric in 2021, but it hasn’t been very steady since then, and it seems to have fallen sharply in 2022. Why NFTs exploded in popularity in 2021 In 2021, two of the most active markets for NFTs were collectible art projects and the video game industry. NFT...
Kim Kardashian Paying $1.26M to SEC Over Crypto Promotion
Kim Kardashian has agreed to pay $1.26 million to settle Securities and Exchange Commission charges that she promoted a cryptocurrency on Instagram without disclosing she’d been paid $250,000 to do so. The SEC said Monday that the reality TV star and entrepreneur has agreed to cooperate with its ongoing investigation. The SEC said Kardashian failed to disclose that she was paid to publish a post on her Instagram account about EMAX tokens, a crypto asset security being offered by EthereumMax. Kardashian’s post contained a link to the EthereumMax website, which provided instructions for potential investors to purchase EMAX tokens. “The federal securities laws are clear that any celebrity or other individual who promotes a crypto asset security must disclose the nature, source, and amount of ...
Fed’s Powell slides into tough cop role
“He’s the head of the world’s largest central bank at a critical time, so he’s the center of the story right now even if he doesn’t want to be,” said Megan Greene, global chief economist at the Kroll Institute. “And yes, there is a risk that because the Fed was so widely criticized for being behind the curve, they now feel they have to take a more hawkish turn to convince everyone they are serious about fighting inflation.” Being at the center of the story is an extraordinary place for Powell. He’s so averse to political conflict that he quietly endured months of brutal public attacks from former President Donald Trump for raising interest rates. He regularly bats down partisan efforts to get him to endorse legislation, and he’s had hundreds of meetings and calls with lawmakers, always tal...
Fed’s Powell ignores politics — and may pay a heavy price
“He’s the head of the world’s largest central bank at a critical time, so he’s the center of the story right now even if he doesn’t want to be,” said Megan Greene, global chief economist at the Kroll Institute. “And yes, there is a risk that because the Fed was so widely criticized for being behind the curve, they now feel they have to take a more hawkish turn to convince everyone they are serious about fighting inflation.” Being at the center of the story is an extraordinary place for Powell. He’s so averse to political conflict that he quietly endured months of brutal public attacks from former President Donald Trump for raising interest rates. He regularly bats down partisan efforts to get him to endorse legislation, and he’s had hundreds of meetings and calls with lawmakers, always tal...
Transit Swap ‘hacker’ returns 70% of $23M in stolen funds
A quick response from a number of blockchain security companies has helped facilitate the return of around 70% of the $23 million exploit of decentralized exchange (DEX) aggregator Transit Swap. The DEX aggregator lost the funds after a hacker exploited an internal bug on a swap contract on Oct. 1, leading to a quick response from the Transit Finance team along with security companies Peckshield, SlowMist, Bitrace and TokenPocket, who were able to quickly work out the hacker’s IP, email address and associated-on chain addresses. It appears these efforts have already borne fruit, as less than 24 hours after the hack, Transit Finance noted that “with joint efforts of all parties,” the hacker has returned 70% of the stolen assets to two addresses, equating to roughly $16.2 million. These...
DOJ objects to Celsius plans to reopen withdrawals and sell stablecoins
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has submitted an objection to Celsius’ motion to reopen withdrawals for select customers and sell its stablecoin holdings. The DOJ is asserting that the state of Celsius’ financials are lacking transparency, and that key decisions like this should not be considered until the independent examiner report has been filed. The move by the DOJ adds to the objections filed last week by the Texas State Securities Board, the Texas Department of Banking, and the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation. All three are opposed to Celsius selling its stablecoin holdings, asserting there’s a risk the firm could use the capital to resume operating in violation of state laws. In a Sept. 30 filing with the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, a U.S. Trus...
Sam Bankman-Fried sheds light on how FTX would approach a Celsius bid
FTX founder and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried have shared details on how his firm would approach a buy-up of Celsius’ tassets. The comments come in light of FTX US snapping up bankrupt crypto lender Voyager Digital’s assets for $1.3 billion via auction last week and a recent report that FTX was considering a bid for Celsius’ assets as well. Responding to a tweet from BnkToTheFuture founder Simon Dixon alleging FTX was “raising finance at a $32Billion valuation” in order to buy Celsius’ assets at “cents on the dollar,” Bankman-Fried clarified that his firm’s bid is determined at “fair market price, no discounts.” You up for discussing a plan to make up the difference with equity? I have some ideas that will make the community very happy with the ...
Robert Kiyosaki calls Bitcoin a ‘buying opportunity’ as US dollar surges
Robert Kiyosaki, businessman and best-selling author of Rich Dad Poor Dad has called Bitcoin, silver and gold a “buying opportunity” amid the strengthening United States dollar and continued interest rate hikes. In an Oct. 2 Twitter post to his 2.1 million followers, the author noted the prices of the three commodities — sometimes referred to as “safe haven” assets — would continue getting lower as the U.S. dollar strengthens, proving its worth once the “FED pivots” and drops interest rates. BUYING OPPORTUNITY: if FED continues raising interest rates US $ will get stronger causing gold, silver & Bitcoin prices to go lower. BUY more. When FED pivots and drops interest rates as England just did you will smile while others cry. Take care — therealkiyosaki (@theRealKiyosa...
BMG to Hit 1 Billion Euros in Revenues by 2024
BMG says it will start generating one billion euros in revenue starting in 2024, achieving a financial target the company set for itself a full two years ahead of schedule, according to a corporate presentation made last week. The record label and publisher improved its growth forecast thanks to strategic investments from parent company Bertelsmann and a strong performance from several recently acquired song catalogs, BMG chief executive Hartwig Masuch told a gathering of senior Bertelsmann executives. Meeting its billion-euro goal will make BMG one of the fastest-growing new music companies in the industry, executives said. Founded in 2008, BMG generated 663 million euros ($784.13 million) in revenues in 2021, a 10.1% increase from 2020. In the first half of 2022, the company reported rev...
Officials assess massive hurricane damage as Florida begins long recovery
“They will never look the same again, these are communities that have basically been wiped out,” said Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on CNN’s State of the Union when discussing the damage to Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island in Lee County. The fury of the storm prompted a mammoth rescue effort that had resulted in saving more than 1,600 survivors, with both the Florida National Guard and U.S. Coast Guard landing helicopters on barrier islands in order to search for those left stranded. DeSantis told reporters during a late afternoon briefing on Sunday that the hurricane damaged areas were the site of the largest mobilization of search and rescue teams in the United States since the 9/11 attacks. More than 794,000 home and businesses remained without power by mid-Sunday afternoon — most of the...
Music NFTs a powerful tool to transform an audience into a community
As one of the oldest entertainment industries in existence, the music business has experienced many technological advances that enhanced widespread adoption. The digitalization of music meant that artists could reach any audience across the world, and digital distribution gifted people with unlimited access to music. With these advances in distribution came some drawbacks in music monetization. The way musicians make money in a digital format has reduced margins from media or video revenue. Artists have been pushed back to generating revenue from offline endeavors like concerts and selling merchandise as the online landscape has been filled with intermediaries that take a piece of the pie. “Web3 and existing platforms help us build a new chapter of the music industry.” Takayuki Suzuk...
