cryptocurrencies
Pro-Russian groups raised only 4% of crypto donations sent to Ukraine
According to data from crypto analytics firm Chainalysis, users have sent more than $2 million in crypto to 54 pro-Russian groups since Feb. 24, a fraction of that received by many wallets controlled by the Ukrainian government. In a Friday blog post, Chainalysis said it had tracked funds sent to social media accounts controlled by pro-Russian groups in Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), USDT-TRX, and Dogecoin (DOGE) starting with the country’s invasion of Ukraine in February. According to Chainalysis’ data, users sent roughly $2.2 million to the pro-Russian groups, with more than $1 million going to a single unnamed account. While there may be other groups outside of Chainalysis’ investigation of those supporting pro-Russian forces, the available data suggested that the $2.2 mill...
Can blockchain be used without cryptocurrency?
A blockchain without cryptocurrency is a distributed ledger that stores data associated with nonfungible tokens (NFTs), supply chain initiatives, the Metaverse and more. Even though Bitcoin (BTC) is the most known application of a decentralized ledger or blockchain, there is a wide range of other uses of blockchain technology. For instance, blockchain technology can be utilized in various financial services including remittances, digital assets and online payments because it enables payments to be settled without a bank or other middleman. Furthermore, the next generation of internet interaction systems including smart contracts, reputation systems, public services, the Internet of Things (IoT) and security services are among blockchain technology’s most promising applications.&a...
Thai SEC launches digital hotline for Zipmex users
In the aftermath of the Thai cryptocurrency exchange Zipmex stopping withdrawals last week, local financial regulators are stepping in to look into potential losses by investors. Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is taking action to collect all necessary information from investors on how they have been affected by issues on Zipmex. The regulator officially announced on July 25 that Zipmex customers can submit information via an online forum on the Thai SEC’s official website. The SEC has received a number of complaints from people affected by Zipmex after the crypto exchange temporarily suspended withdrawals of the Thai baht and digital assets on Wednesday, the regulator said. “In the past, the SEC issued a letter requesting the company [Zipmex] to provide an efficient sy...
HARTi and Mitsui Sumitomo roll out NFT insurance coverage for claims
As announced on Tuesday, Japanese NFT Platform HARTi and insurance group Mitsui Sumitomo (三井住友海上) will roll out nonfungible token, or NFT, insurance for all digital artworks exhibited within the HARTi app. The insurance will attach to the NFT pieces on display by sellers free of charge, with HARTi responsible for the premium payments. Under the scheme, Mitsui Sumitomo will compensate owners of insured NFTs if their digital assets are compromised by unauthorized third-party access (such as through phishing, theft or wallet hacks) or become bugged or glitched during transfers. In such events, the policy will payout compensation to the NFT owner based on the exhibition price of each item and up to a maximum value of 500,000 yen ($3,661). The two parties expect to expand their collaborat...
Bitcoin price falls under $21K, bringing more capitulation or just consolidation?
On July 26, Bitcoin (BTC) price dropped below $21,000, giving back the majority of the gains accrued in the previous week and returning to the $23,300 to $18,500 range that Glassnode analysts describe as “the Week 30 high and Week 30 low.” A handful of analysts and traders attribute the July 26 to July 27 Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting and the expected Federal Reserve rate hike as the primary reasons for the current sell-off. Barring the announcement that the United States economy has entered a recession, a few traders believe that the expected 75 to 100 basis point (BPS) hike will be followed by a relief rally that could see BTC, Ether and other large-cap altcoins snack back to the top of their current range. Of course, this sentiment reflects more speculation than sou...
Chipotle takes ‘buy the dip’ literally with new $200K crypto giveaway
United States-based fast casual restaurant chain Chipotle has started an online game which will give customers the chance to win more than $200,000 in crypto. In a Monday announcement, Chipotle said that, through July 31, fans would be able to play its “Buy The Dip” game using their rewards accounts. The company will give away $45,000 in Bitcoin (BTC), $10,000 in Ether (ETH), $13,750 in Solana (SOL), $14,250 in Avalanche (AVAX) and $14,250 in Dogecoin (DOGE) via the game. “We want to build the next generation of Chipotle fandom by connecting with the Web3 community,” said Chipotle chief marketing officer Chris Brandt. Free crypto giveaway? — Chipotle (@ChipotleTweets) July 25, 2022 The restaurant chain gave away $100,000 in BTC in April 2021 as part of a promotion for National Burrito Day....
GameStop ‘Falling Man’ NFT saga shows people’s power at its finest
A recent nonfungible token (NFT) listing on Gamestop’s marketplace became the center of controversy in the NFT world. The listing received heavy backlash from the community prompting the marketplace to take action within a day, showing how a community can come together to reverse the wrong. The NFT in question, titled “Falling Man,” showed a man in a space suit falling downwards. The NFT in question had quite a resemblance to the infamous 9/11 photo of a man falling to his death that since has become a defining moment of the deadly attacks. Many believed the NFT was mimicking the 9/11 victim and also infringed on the copyright of the image taken by original photojournalist Richard Drew. In another discussion on the meme stock subreddit GME_Meltdown, a user pointed out that the figure in th...
The Merge is Ethereum’s chance to take over Bitcoin, researcher says
Ethereum researcher, Vivek Raman, is convinced that Ethereum’s (ETH) upcoming transition to a proof-of-stake system will enable it to take over Bitcoin’s (BTC) position as the most prominent cryptocurrency. “Ethereum does have, just from an economic perspective and because of the effect of the supply shock, a chance to flip Bitcoin,” said Raman in an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph. [embedded content] The Merge, a long-awaited upgrade that will complete Ethereum’s transition from a proof-of-work to a proof-of-stake system, is set to take place in September. In addition, The Merge will transform Ethereum’s monetary policy, making the network more environmentally sustainable and reducing ETH’s total supply by 90%. “After The Merge, Ether...
A short-term BTC rally or trend reversal? Find out now on ‘Market Talks’ with Crypto Jebb
The latest episode of Market Talks welcomes Nicholas Merten, the founder of DataDash, one of the largest cryptocurrency YouTube channels. Merten is an international speaker, thought leader and crypto analyst. He has utilized his 10-plus years of experience in traditional markets to understand the potential of cryptocurrencies and help his 515,000 YouTube subscribers make better investment decisions. One of the topics up for discussion with Merten isthe recent Bitcoin (BTC) price rally. Are the markets finally out of the sideways trend it’s been stuck in for months, or is this just another bull trap forming, with BTC to head back down below $20,000? With all seasoned traders and experts eyeing the BTC 200-week moving average, Merten is asked the significance of this indicator and why many c...
Hacker drains $1.08M from Audius following passing of malicious proposal
Proposals in crypto help communities make consensus-based decisions. However, for decentralized music platform Auduis, the passing of a malicious governance proposal resulted in the transfer of tokens worth $5.9 million, with the hacker making away with $1 million. On July 24, a malicious proposal (Proposal #85) requesting the transfer of 18 million Audius’ in-house AUDIO tokens was approved by community voting. First pointed out on Crypto Twitter by @spreekaway, the attacker created the malicious proposal wherein they were “able to call initialize() and set himself as the sole guardian of the governance contract.” Hello everyone – our team is aware of reports of an unauthorized transfer of AUDIO tokens from the community treasury. We are actively investigating and will report ...
California again allows crypto contributions to state, local political campaigns
Candidates for state and local offices in California will once again be allowed to accept donations in cryptocurrency after a ban was lifted by the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) on Thursday. The ban was imposed in 2018. California was one of nine states that had banned political contributions in crypto due to perceived transparency and Know Your Customer (KYC) issues. The question of contributions in crypto was revived in March when the commission issued an opinion on the sale of nonfungible tokens (NFTs) for campaign fundraising. In May, a report was prepared by the FPPC that examined three options for its crypto policy. Those were to maintain the ban or treat crypto like cash, with a $100 contribution cap, as is done in several states. The third option was to t...
Crypto.com scores regulatory approval from Cyprus SEC
Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com continues to aggressively expand its reach, becoming the latest crypto firm officially authorized to operate in Cyprus. Crypto.com has received regulatory approval from the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), the firm announced to Cointelegraph on July 22. The approval enables Crypto.com to offer a number of products and services to customers in Cyprus in compliance with local regulations. The new regulatory milestone comes in line with Crypto.com’s growing global presence as the firm has been actively expanding its operations, receiving approvals to operate in countries like Italy, Greece and Singapore. According to Crypto.com co-founder and CEO Kris Marszalek, the exchange currently prioritizes Europe as the main region fo...
