United States
SEC rejects ARK 21Shares spot Bitcoin ETF application
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, has officially disapproved the application for the ARK 21Shares Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). In a Thursday filing, the SEC rejected a proposed rule change from the Chicago Board Options Exchange, or Cboe, BZX Exchange to list and trade shares of the ARK 21Shares Bitcoin (BTC) ETF. The SEC said the proposed rule change, originally published for comment in the Federal Register in August 2021, would not be “‘designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices” nor “protect investors and the public interest.” The SEC said that the Cboe BZX Exchange had not met the requirements of listing a financial product under its rules of practice as well as those of the Exchange Act. Under these restrictions, exchanges see...
World Cup 2022 Draw: England Get USA in Group Stages
The World Cup draw has been made, and England fans will feel confident after they avoided any big names. However, there is the real possibility of the English having to take on neighbours Wales or Scotland, depending how the one remaining European qualifying place goes. Elsewhere, there were some juicy draws, none bigger than European giants Spain and Germany being pitted together in the same group. Favourites Brazil and France will be confident, although the Portuguese have been drawn in a potentially tricky group. England avoid big guns The draw really couldn’t have been much kinder to England. Drawn in Group B, they first drew USA from the second batch of teams. Iran were then drawn, setting up a politically tense match with the US. It was the final team drawn in the group that provided...
Is Austin the next US crypto hub? Officials approve blockchain resolutions
Innovative cities across America are racing to become the next hot spot for cryptocurrency and blockchain adoption. Miami was the first city to adopt its own part of CityCoins last year, allowing it to implement its own cryptocurrency called “MiamiCoin” to be used for civic engagement. New York City has also made a name for itself as a crypto-friendly city by implementing educational initiatives and withMayor Eric Adams receiving his paycheck in Bitcoin (BTC) in January this year. Austin takes a strong stance Most recently, Austin — the state capital of Texas that goes by the slogan “Keep Austin Weird” — has taken a strong interest in cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. While Texas’ desire to lead the way for crypto innovation was established about a year ago when G...
White House office seeks public opinion on crypto-climate implications
The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), an Executive Office of the President of the United States, commenced a study to identify the scope for offsetting energy use and climate changes related to digital assets. On March 9, United States President Joe Biden signed an executive order, directing various federal agencies to examine implications of digital assets on six key areas — consumer and investor protection, financial stability, financial inclusion, responsible innovation, the United States’ global financial leadership and combating illicit financial activity. As a part of the initiative, the OSTP invited the general public and other stakeholders to share their viewpoints on various factors that contribute to the energy use and climate impacts of all types of digital a...
Exxon Mobil is using excess natural gas to power crypto mining: Report
United States-based energy producer Exxon Mobil has reportedly been running a pilot program aimed at using the energy from excess gas to power crypto mining rigs — and it may be expanding its operations to four other countries. In a Thursday report, Bloomberg said Exxon Mobil had inked a deal with Crusoe Energy to use excess gas from oil wells in North Dakota to run Bitcoin (BTC) miners. The project reportedly uses 18 million cubic feet of natural gas per month — roughly 0.4% of the oil giant’s reported operations in the state, producing 158 million cubic feet of natural gas each day. The company launched the pilot program in January 2021 and is now reportedly considering expanding to Nigeria, Argentina, Guyana, and Germany in addition to launching a similar project in Alaska. Cointelegrap...
SEC could approve spot Bitcoin ETFs as early as 2023 — Bloomberg analysts
Eric Balchunas and James Seyffart, exchange-traded fund (EFT) analysts for Bloomberg, said that a proposed rule change with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) could be the catalyst for the regulatory body approving a spot Bitcoin ETF in mid-2023. In a Thursday tweet, Balchunas said crypto platforms could fall under the SEC’s regulatory framework if the commission were to approve the amendment to change the definition of “exchange” proposed in January. The rule change would amend the Exchange Act to include platforms “that make available for trading any type of security” — seemingly including cryptocurrencies, making their investment vehicles more palatable for the regulator. “Once crypto exchanges are compliant, the SEC’s primary reason for denying spot Bitcoi...
Mexico vs USA live stream: How to watch World Cup Qualifiers for free
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US investment bank Cowen launches dedicated crypto division
Cowen, a major American independent investment bank, has officially launched a dedicated cryptocurrency and digital asset division. Called Cowen Digital, Cowen’s new business is designed to offer full-service trade execution and custody for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) and other digital assets for institutional investors, the firm announced on Wednesday. In order to launch the new crypto division, Cowen has collaborated with PolySign’s cold storage-focused subsidiary, Standard Custody and Trust Company. The bank is also a client of Digital Prime Technologies, a brokerage solution-focused firm providing business and compliance services, the announcement notes. Cowen initially announced plans to move into the crypto custody business in May 2021, entering a partnership with Standard Cu...
US exceptionalism could be tested as digital assets find footing worldwide — Sheila Warren
Sheila Warren, CEO of the Crypto Council for Innovation and former head of data, blockchain and digital assets at the World Economic Forum, said the digital yuan may present certain challenges for the United States. However, regulators and lawmakers may want consider how to encourage digital innovation, as China is already “massively tech forward” for its residents. Speaking to Cointelegraph during Austin’s SXSW festival, Warren said that though she believed China’s digital yuan was unlikely to significantly affect retail payments in the United States, the adoption of the technology surrounding it could impact the dollar’s global dominance. The CCI CEO added that the Federal Reserve could make a “strong move” in preserving the dollar’s role by introducing a central ...
SXSW 2022 showcased immersive NFT experiences, lacking crypto and Bitcoin sessions
South by Southwest — commonly referred to as “South By” or “SXSW” — has returned to Austin, Texas this year to showcase the latest trends in interactive media, music, art, film and technology. While SXSW runs through March 20, 2022, the entertainment and technology festival kicked off its first weekend with a large focus on Web3 and nonfungible tokens (NFTs). NFT activations and panels SXSW’s attendees’ interest in NFTs and the future of the internet was particularly evident at the venue hosted by Blockchain Creative Labs (BCL) — a business and creative unit formed by FOX Entertainment in 2021. On March 11, the first day of SXSW, a line consisting of hundreds of people wrapped around the streets of Fifth and Trinity in downtown Austin as SXSW badge holders anxiously awaited entrance to BCL...
Miners that hodl the most Bitcoin are ‘relentlessly expanding’
Bitcoin (BTC) miners are holding more and more Bitcoin while “relentlessly expanding” their operations in 2022. A report by Arcane Research indicates that publicly listed Bitcoin miners are “constantly looking for expansion opportunities,” as they “plan to increase hashrate faster than the whole network in 2022.” Publicly listed Bitcoin miners projected hashrates. Source: Arcane Research 44.95% of the global hash rate derives from North American miners, according to the latest figures from the Cambridge Bitcoin electricity consumption index. With the massive projected increases in target hash rate among the publicly traded Bitcoin miners, it‘s “likely to increase.” Jaran Mellerud, an analyst for Arcane Research, told Cointelegraph that “most publicly listed miners pursue a hodl strat...
US lawmakers introduce bills that could force crypto exchanges to cut ties with Russian wallets
Representative Brad Sherman will be introducing a bill in the House aimed at cracking down on U.S. businesses handling crypto transactions for Russian banks and individuals. Speaking at a hybrid markup meeting with the House Financial Services Committee on Thursday, Sherman said he will be introducing a companion bill to Senator Elizabeth Warren’s legislation that would give the Biden administration “explicit authority to require that crypto exchanges that are subject to U.S. law stop facilitating transactions with Russian-based crypto wallets.” Warren first announced the legislation on March 8, later saying during a Senate Banking Committee hearing she will be introducing the bill on Thursday. Neither bill’s text is available through congressional records at the time of publication....
