Bitcoin

Cryptocurrency may be bad for investors but it can be useful in international settlements, according to a top government official in Moscow. Russian authorities intend to set up a special committee that would issue permits to operators employing crypto in foreign trade transactions, he indicated. Russia Plans to ‘Experiment’ With Cross-Border Crypto Payments Amid Sanctions Crypto assets can be used in certain scenarios, Russia’s Deputy Finance Minister Alexey Moiseev commented during an economic forum in Moscow. Speaking at the “Banks. Transformation. Economy. 2.0” conference, he was quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency as saying: Of course, crypto is generally evil. I believe that people who invest their savings there take a very big risk … But there may be individual situations in which crypto can be used. Moiseev made it clear he was referring to Russian foreign trade activities, which are currently restricted by Western sanctions. He also reminded that a draft law designed

Pepe (PEPE), the meme coin featuring the popular character Pepe the Frog, has experienced a significant surge in value in the past week, rising by 152.9% against the U.S. dollar. Recent statistics indicate that PEPE’s market capitalization has surged from $141 million on April 22 to a current valuation of $303 million. PEPE Jumps 99% in 24 Hours, Now Fifth-Largest Meme Token by Market Cap On April 30, 2023, the top meme coin crypto assets by market capitalization are worth $19.11 billion. Over the past 24 hours, the valuation of all meme tokens has risen 1.6%. However, only two out of the top five meme coins by market capitalization have seen gains. The newly launched cryptocurrency, pepe (PEPE) , is leading the pack with triple-digit gains. Data collected from coingecko.com shows that over the last seven days, PEPE has risen 152.9%, with most of the gains coming from the last 24 hours as the token jumped 99% higher on Sunday. PEPEUSDT chart by TradingView Bitcoin.com News

Sales of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have declined by 5.76% over the past 30 days, according to the latest NFT sales statistics. The data reveals that the sales figure stood at $732.13 million in April, which is $44.75 million lower than the $776.88 million recorded in March. NFT Sales Decline by 5.76% in April, Ethereum Dominates, Bored Ape Yacht Club Leads in Collections NFT sales surpassed $1 billion in both January and February 2023; however, sales figures declined in March and April. According to cryptoslam.io’s latest NFT sales data for April, the sales stood at $732.13 million, which is 5.76% lower than the previous month. Out of this amount, Ethereum-based NFT sales dominated the market, accounting for $485 million in trades. However, Ethereum NFT sales declined by 19% in April compared to March figures. Meanwhile, Solana-based NFT sales recorded $88.16 million, down 6.78% from last month. The top five blockchains with the most NFT sales in April, following Ethereum and So

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has said it will start issuing gold-backed digital tokens on May 8. The first phase of the launch will see the digital tokens being issued for “investment purposes with a vesting period of 180 days.” The RBZ also revealed that the gold-backed digital tokens “would be used both as a means of payment and a store of value.” Gold-Backed Tokens Additional Value-Preserving Instruments According to the Zimbabwean central bank, it plans to start issuing the recently mooted gold-backed digital currency on May 8. The digital currency, which will be backed by the gold held at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), is expected to complement the physical gold coins that went into circulation in July 2022. The announcement of the digital currency’s issuance date came just a few days after the central bank governor, John Mangudya, was quoted revealing the RBZ’s intention to fight local currency depreciation with gold-backed digital currency. Also, as reported by

United States Senator Ted Cruz has said he remains “incredibly bullish on bitcoin” which he described as the “alpha in the crypto sphere.” According to Cruz, people are attracted to bitcoin because they see it as a hedge against inflation and also as an “important check” against government spending. Bitcoin Is Still the ‘Most Dominant’ United States Senator Ted Cruz has said he is “incredibly bullish on bitcoin” and he still believes the “insight that led to its creation is still extraordinary.” In his remarks at an event organized by the Bitcoin Policy Institute, Cruz insisted bitcoin is the “alpha in the crypto sphere” because it came first and “is the most dominant one.” The remarks by Cruz, a Republican from Texas, came at a time when the Biden administration has upped the ante in its fight against the crypto industry. As has been reported by Bitcoin.com News since the start of 2023, U.S. officials and agencies have targeted crypto entities as part of the so-called Operation

After the American financial technology giant Paypal rolled out crypto payments last year, the company is now introducing cryptocurrency transfer services to Venmo users. The firm detailed that Venmo customers will be able to send funds to an existing Paypal account, an external wallet, or a crypto exchange platform. Venmo Customers Can Now Transfer Cryptocurrency to Paypal Users, External Accounts, and Exchanges On April 28, the payments services company Paypal announced that Venmo’s 60 million customers can now enjoy cryptocurrency transfers. The rollout follows Paypal’s crypto transfer launch last summer after initially introducing the product without the ability to transfer to external accounts. Similarly, up until now, Venmo only allowed its customers to buy, hold, and sell after integrating crypto in 2021. “Crypto transfers will be rolling out to Venmo customers over the coming weeks starting in May 2023,” Paypal said on Friday. In a bid to gather more insights into the be

At 11:06 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) on April 29, 2023, at block height 787,500, the number of blocks left to discover until the next Bitcoin blockchain halving is now fewer than 52,500 blocks. This means the network has progressed 75% through the 210,000-block halving cycle, which will ultimately result in a reduction of the block reward from 6.25 bitcoins per block to 3.125 bitcoins per block. Bitcoin Halving Countdown: Fewer Than 52,500 Blocks Left to Discover On Saturday morning (ET), the Bitcoin network progressed 75% of the way toward the next block reward halving, with fewer than 52,500 blocks left to discover until the event occurs. This milestone marks another step in the ongoing evolution of the Bitcoin network as it progresses toward its eventual maximum supply of 21 million bitcoins. The Bitcoin blockchain halves its block reward every 210,000 blocks, which occurs roughly every four years. ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░ 75% 365 days and 52503 blocks left $29385 per #bitcoin — Progress

Economist Stephen Jen, a former Morgan Stanley managing director, expects a shift “from a unipolar reserve currency world to a multipolar world,” with the Chinese yuan, the euro, and the U.S. dollar forming a “tripolar” reserve currency configuration. ‘A Multipolar World’ Economist Stephen Jen, the CEO of asset management firm Eurizon SLJ, expects multiple currencies will chip away at the U.S. dollar’s dominance. Jen was formerly a managing director at Morgan Stanley in London and a senior economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). After stating that the U.S. dollar is losing its world’s reserve currency status at “ an alarming pace ,” the former Morgan Stanley director told the Insider publication that the de-dollarization trend is likely to continue. However, he noted that it will “probably not to a point where a non-dollar currency commands a bigger market share than the dollar.” Jen described: More likely, we will evolve from a unipolar reserve currency world to a mu

This week, the Statistics Bureau of Japan unveiled the latest core consumer price index (CPI) report for the country, revealing a surge to 3.5%. This figure comes as a surprise to analysts who had predicted a more modest 2.9% for the end of the quarter. It’s worth noting that Japan’s inflation has been steadily rising since June 2021. The timing of this uptick is also notable, as Kazuo Ueda has recently assumed the role of the 32nd governor of the Bank of Japan. New BOJ Governor Faces Rising Inflation, Central Bank to Conduct Review of Monetary Policy Measures In April, Japan experienced a surge in its year-over-year inflation rate — excluding fresh food and energy prices — which increased to 3.5% . This worsening inflation rate is a concern for the Bank of Japan (BOJ), which aims to bring the rate back down to the 2% range, like several central banks worldwide. However, the country’s economy is facing significant challenges, including the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, which r

On Friday, Michael Barr, the vice chair for supervision at the U.S. Federal Reserve, published a report on the vulnerabilities that led to the ultimate failure of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). In addition, Marshall Gentry, the chief risk officer of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), released a similar report on Signature Bank’s collapse and its overreliance on uninsured deposits. Fed Is Confident Supervisory Recommendations ‘Will Lead to a Stronger and More Resilient Banking System’ The Federal Reserve and the FDIC published reports on Friday concerning the fall of the second and third-largest U.S. bank failures in history. The first report , published by the Fed’s vice chair for supervision Michael Barr, claims the central bank’s supervisors failed to recognize the extent of vulnerabilities at Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) as it grew in size and complexity. Barr wrote that SVB had 31 open supervisory findings while other banks had much fewer in comparison. The report offe

A growing number of banking institutions in Russia are offering customers the option to save in Chinese yuan. The trend coincides with declining demand for U.S. dollar and euro deposits amid currency restrictions that triggered a flight of funds to bank accounts abroad. Demand for Dollar, Euro Accounts Expected to Drop Further, Requests for Yuan Deposits Surge in Russia Fewer Russians want to open local bank accounts in major Western currencies amid restrictions on what they can do with their money. Data from the Bank of Russia shows that about half of all foreign currency savings in Russian banks have been transferred to foreign bank accounts in 2022, and interest in new deposits has noticeably dropped, the daily Izvestia wrote in an article. A “massive decline” in demand for deposits in U.S. dollars and euros is to be expected, according to Anna Romanenko, director of communications at the financial marketplace Vbr.ru. The number of banks supporting deposits in these foreign cur

The economy minister of Argentina, Sergio Massa, announced that starting this month, payments for imports coming from China will be settled using the Chinese yuan. The agreement, which will allow the country to safeguard its dwindling dollar reserves, involves the disbursement of more than $1 billion in April. Argentina to Settle Bilateral Transactions With China in Chinese Yuan Argentina, one of the big three economies in Latin America, will use the Chinese yuan to pay for certain imports. According to statements from Argentine Economy Minister Sergio Massa, the country will begin settling payments for Chinese imports using the Chinese yuan, in the context of saving the scarce dollars that the country still has left. The agreement is perceived by analysts as a positive pact for the nations, as China deepens the penetration and usage of the Chinese yuan in Latam, and Argentina manages to leverage $5 billion of the “swap” reserve that was approved between Argentine President Alfred

A federal judge in Brazil has ordered the temporary suspension of Telegram in the country and established hefty fines due to the supposed lack of collaboration of the company in a national crusade against school violence. Telegram failed to deliver information regarding the actions it is taking against neo-Nazi groups, and now it has been blocked by most internet providers in Brazil. Brazil Blocks Access to Telegram Apps A federal judge ordered a nationwide ban on Telegram, the popular messaging app, on April 26, due to its perceived lack of collaboration in a push against school violence. The company behind the app failed to turn over documents regarding the existence of neo-Nazi groups and the measures it is taking against them on Telegram, according to reports from the local journal O’Globo. In addition, the Brazilian justice system is also fining Telegram for this lack of collaboration to the tune of 1 million Brazilian reals (approx $200,000) for each day that passes without

Almost 12 months back, terrausd (UST), an algorithmic stablecoin, suffered a detachment from the U.S. dollar, causing the Terra ecosystem to crumble shortly thereafter. At present, supporters of the Terra Classic blockchain community are deliberating on a plan to revive the ecosystem by re-establishing the once-stable token’s peg with the U.S. dollar. In response to the proposed development, the value of UST, renamed USTC, has escalated by more than 9% in the past 24 hours. Terra Classic Community Plans to Take Action to Restore USTC’s Peg With USD Terra Classic blockchain supporters aim to revive the algorithmic stablecoin’s ecosystem by restoring the token USTC ’s value parity with the U.S. dollar. A Terra Classic community member using the pseudonym “Redlinedrifter” submitted the proposal , affirming that Do Kwon’s decentralized money creation was a positive initiative but that “serious issues need to be addressed” for the community to re-establish the token’s value peg with the

Sources have revealed that U.S. government officials are in talks to rescue First Republic Bank, a struggling financial institution. The discussions involve the U.S. Treasury, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Federal Reserve, according to reports on Friday. Private-Sector Deal Preferred as U.S. Government Officials Discuss First Republic Bank Rescue Efforts Market observers have been keeping a close eye on First Republic Bank since the collapse of three major banks in March. The bank disclosed earlier this month that it experienced $100 billion in withdrawals by customers in March, following the collapse of Silvergate Bank, Silicon Valley Bank, and Signature Bank. Additionally, 11 banks injected $30 billion into First Republic Bank to strengthen its reserves. FRC stock chart by TradingView On Friday, Reuters reported that the U.S. government is coordinating with the bank’s advisers to possibly save First Republic Bank, as talks led by the adviser

A Bank of America (BOFA) commodity strategist has postulated that gold, should it continue to flourish in 2023, could pave the way for a climb to $2,500 per ounce. Presently priced at $1,983 per unit, the precious metal remains just shy of the $2,000 threshold. However, if it were to achieve the projected $2,500 target, its value would need to rise by more than 26% against the U.S. dollar. ‘Non-Commercial Purchases Do Not Need to Increase Materially to Justify Gold Hitting $2,500,’ Says BOFA Commodity Strategist In 2023 thus far, gold has demonstrated admirable performance, with its price soaring by over 19% in the span of six months. The past 30 days, in particular, have seen a noteworthy 1.33% spike in the price of this treasured metal. Furthermore, a recently-released memo from a BOFA commodity strategist opines that, to realize the envisioned $2,500 per ounce milestone, gold need not scale much further in value. “Bottom line: non-commercial purchases do not need to increase m

Cybercriminals have reportedly breached AT&T email accounts and are using the access gained to steal crypto assets from their victims. While a spokesperson for AT&T has denied claims that hackers have gained access to the company’s internal systems, a report suggests that as much as $20 million worth of crypto may have been stolen. Criminals ‘Used an API Access’ Cybercriminals have reportedly gained access to AT&T email accounts and are using this to hack into targeted victims’ crypto exchange accounts. According to a Techcrunch report, the criminals using this modus operandi may have stolen crypto assets worth between $15 million and $20 million. Although two victims are said to have confirmed the theft, a spokesperson for AT&T has in the meantime rejected suggestions that criminals have gained access to the company’s internal systems. “There was no intrusion into any system for this exploit. The bad actors used an API access,” said Jim Kimberly, the spokesperson

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has spoken on the current shift to national currencies and the de-dollarization international markets are currently experiencing. In a press conference after addressing the UN Security Council on April 25, Lavrov stated this shift could not be stopped, and that the future of traditional international institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was uncertain. Russian FM Sergey Lavrov Thinks De-Dollarization ‘Can No Longer Be Stopped’ Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov referred to the current shift that international markets are taking away from the U.S. dollar in favor of national currencies. In a press conference after having addressed the UN Security Council, which he chaired, Lavrov stated that this movement to other currencies was unstoppable and that it would likely affect traditional finance institutions. According to the Russian news Agency TASS, Lavrov declared : The shift to settlements in national currencies bypassin

Micheal Saylor, the founder of Microstrategy, has told people living in inflation-stricken Argentina that they now “need bitcoin.” While many bitcoiners have welcomed Saylor’s suggestion, a few critics have said the top crypto asset’s volatility makes it an unsuitable alternative for the faltering local currency. The Dollarization Option As the Argentinian currency — the peso — continued with the slide that has seen it depreciate by more than 40% over the past twelve months, Micheal Saylor, the founder of Microstrategy, has chimed in by tweeting that people living in the South American country now “need bitcoin.” In a subsequent tweet , Saylor, a bitcoin critic turned advocate, also shared news about the South American country’s inflation rate after it topped 7.58% per day. If you live in Argentina🇦🇷 right now, you need #bitcoin . — Michael Saylor⚡️ (@saylor) April 22, 2023 The tweets by Saylor, whose firm is one of the largest corporate holders of BTC , came as reports sug

As the Bitcoin Cash enthusiasts brace themselves for the much-awaited upgrade that vows to unleash decentralized applications, General Protocols revealed a complete production release of its decentralized hedging application, boasting a doubled contract size. Meanwhile, those utilizing the privacy-boosting protocol Cashfusion have fused over 17.4 million bitcoin cash since its inception, equivalent to a staggering $2 billion in U.S. dollar value. General Protocols Reveals Latest Defi Application Release The Bitcoin Cash community eagerly awaits an upgrade that promises to revolutionize the creation of decentralized applications on May 15, 2023. Last November, blockchain developer Jason Dreyzehner shared the news that the 2023 upgrade had been successfully added to the testnet network. Dreyzehner elaborated on the forthcoming improvements, which will introduce Cashtokens capable of generating a plethora of possibilities , from identity tokens and covenant-tracking identity tokens, t