BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto.

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto.

Cross-Chain Interoperability Solutions Have The Potential To Significantly Improve

Global Fan Tokens Surpass $80B in Sales Despite Crypto Downturn | BeInCrypto

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 17.06.2022 23:32
Fan Tokens continues to reach new highs after seeing their all-time sales volume reach new milestones despite the steep decline of cryptocurrencies.        Fan Tokens are the only area in the crypto space at present that have bucked the bearish trend dominating the market. As of June 15, Fan Token sales were in the region of $2.63 billion. This figure has contributed significantly to the total sales volume of global fan tokens of approximately $80.99 billion, according to Be[In]Crypto Research.       In terms of sales volume, Global Fan Tokens have earned more than $40 billion more in sales than non-fungible tokens (NFTs).   Source: Global Fan Tokens Sales Volume by CryptoSlam Some of the football clubs that contributed to this landmark include Paris Saint Germain (PSG), Lazio, Santos FC, FC Barcelona, Manchester City, FC Porto, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Galatasaray, Atletico Madrid, AS Roma, Juventus, Trabzonspor, Valencia CF, Arsenal, Leeds United, Flamengo, and Istanbul Basaksehir.  What’s behind soaring token sales? The increasing demand for fan tokens in 2020 led to a growth in monthly sales volume. Before Dec 2020, monthly global fan tokens were below $100 million. Then in Dec 2020, fan token sales were approximately $1.03 billion.  Fan Token sales volume rose with the prices of cryptocurrencies in May 2021. During the month, global fan token sales reached an all-time high of $9.43 billion and corresponded to a market capitalization of $210.38 million. Source: May 2021 Global Fan Token Sales Chart by CryptoSlam Sales tested May’s peak in March 2022 when they reached $9.42 billion. Source: March 2022 Global Fan Token Sales Chart by CryptoSlam Other months that made significant contributions to this sales volume were April 2021 ($5.49 billion), Aug 2021 ($8.43 billion), Dec 2021 ($5.43 billion), and May 2022 ($5.11 billion). Disclaimer All the information contained on our website is published in good faith and for general information purposes only. Any action the reader takes upon the information found on our website is strictly at their own risk.   RELATED TOPICS Bullish Fan tokens Football manchester city Paris Saint-Germain Fan Token (PSG) Source: Global Fan Tokens Surpass $80B in Sales Despite Crypto Downturn (beincrypto.com)
Tether Deploys USDT Stablecoin on Tezos Blockchain | BeInCrypto

Tether Deploys USDT Stablecoin on Tezos Blockchain | BeInCrypto

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 10.06.2022 11:47
Tether has deployed the USDT stablecoin on Tezos, becoming the 12th blockchain on which the popular stablecoin is available.       The deployment of Tether onto several blockchains has helped USDT reach a staggering market cap of $72.5 billion. The second-largest stablecoin by market cap, USDC, has only $53.9 billion. The stablecoin was most recently launched on the Kusama network in April.       Tether has been making progress in other respects as well. The company recently launched the stablecoin in Mexico, pegged to the Mexican peso. This particular variant of the stablecoin was launched on Ethereum, TRON, and Polygon. Tether CTO Paolo Ardoino offered praise regarding Tezos’ potential, saying the Tether launch would aid its long-term growth: “We’re excited to launch USD₮ on Tezos, offering its growing and vibrant community access to the most liquid, stable, and trusted stablecoin in the digital token space. Tezos is coming fast onto the scene and we believe that this integration will be essential to its long-term growth.” USDT will be used in the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem on the Tezos blockchain, naturally. USDT is widely used for the same reason on Ethereum, and it could help Tezos also expand its DeFi offerings. This focus on DeFi appears to be one of the biggest matters on the agenda of Tezos stakeholders. Tether not without controversy Tether is not without its controversies, and in fact, it has long been the subject of intense discussion among the crypto community. The controversies primarily have to do with the reserves backing the Tether supply. The audits and reports released so far by Tether have not sufficiently appeased those worried about the backing. The fact that USDT plays such a critical role in the market worries some investors, who believe that any critical failure could result in much wider market consequences. However, the concerns surrounding the stablecoin have diminished somewhat in recent months. Most recently, it was discovered that boutique bank Capital Union of the Bahamas was one of Tether’s banking partners, with $1 billion in assets. Disclaimer All the information contained on our website is published in good faith and for general information purposes only. Any action the reader takes upon the information found on our website is strictly at their own risk.   RELATED TOPICS Blockchain Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Stablecoin Tether (USDT) Tezos Source: Tether Deploys USDT Stablecoin on Tezos Blockchain (beincrypto.com)
Indonesia's Inflation Slips, Central Bank Maintains Rates Amidst Stability

Checkout.com to Accept Stablecoins as Regulators Look to Impose Tighter Rules | BeInCrypto

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 08.06.2022 14:55
Online payments giant Checkout.com has become the latest financial services firm to accept crypto.       The announcement means that the payment method will be available to Checkout.com merchants round the clock, including on weekends and holidays.       The company said that Checkout.com is leveraging Fireblocks’ new crypto payment technology for the settlement method while reducing “operational complexity”. Ran Goldi, Vice President of Payments at Fireblocks explained: “Traditionally, merchant payouts are limited to 9-5 on weekdays excluding public holidays and are further delayed through batch processing over several business days.” Stablecoins accepted 24/7 He added that “merchants are no longer restricted by arbitrary settlement times,” while “every business will become a digital assets business with the advent of Web3.” “Stablecoins started as a fiat-denominated asset used by crypto traders to easily move in and out of more volatile crypto assets, but we believe they will also play a fundamental role in improving the underlying payment landscape, ” said Jess Houlgrave, Head of Crypto Strategy at Checkout.com. Meanwhile, the de-peg of UST and the subsequent Terra meltdown has spooked investors and led to regulators calling for a more stringent framework. U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Cynthia Lummis have proposed a crypto regulatory framework under the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. This follows the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets (PWG) which last Nov called for greater regulation of stablecoins. Japan became the first major economy to pass a bill around stablecoins ensuring investor protection. Meanwhile, South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) is probing the Terra debacle, while imposing new frameworks. Peer-to-peer payments company Circle also announced that it was adding its stablecoin to the Polygon network, meaning businesses and developers can use Circle’s payments and treasury platform to accept payments in Polygon USDC. Jeremy Allaire, founder and CEO of Circle, said: “It’s not just urgent that Washington step in, it’s urgently urgent.” Disclaimer All the information contained on our website is published in good faith and for general information purposes only. Any action the reader takes upon the information found on our website is strictly at their own risk.   RELATED TOPICS checkout.com Stablecoin News Stablecoin Regulations stablecoins
Bitcoin Has Fallen Past The $22k Level Which Is A Bearish Signal

Bitcoin (BTC) Consolidates Below $31,000 With No Clear Trend Direction | BeInCrypto

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 08.06.2022 14:11
While bitcoin (BTC) has been increasing since May 12, it is not yet clear if the increase is a bullish trend reversal or a corrective bounce.   Bitcoin has been decreasing underneath a descending resistance line since April 5. The line rejected the price on May 5, eventually leading to the May 12 low.   The price has been moving upwards since, trading inside an ascending parallel channel.  Yesterday it reached a confluence of resistance levels at $31,500, created by:  The $31,500 resistance area The descending resistance line The middle of the parallel channel Whether BTC breaks out or gets rejected could very well determine the direction of the future trend. BTC/USDT Chart By TradingView Short-term BTC movement A closer look at the daily movement continues to show conflicting signs.  On the bullish side, bitcoin created a long lower wick on June 7 (black icon), validating the support line of the channel. Additionally, the RSI has generated considerable bullish divergence. On the bearish side, the divergence trendline is very close to breaking down and the RSI has been rejected twice by the 50 line. BTC/USDT Chart By TradingView The two-hour chart shows a descending parallel channel and an RSI that has been freely moving above and below 50.  So it does nothing to help determine the direction of the future trend. BTC/USDT Chart By TradingView Wave count analysis There are two main potential wave counts in play.  The first suggests that the price is completing a five-wave downward movement since April. It has just completed wave four and will soon drop to finish wave five. BTC/USD Chart By TradingView The second suggests that wave five is truncated instead, and bitcoin is completing an upwards correction.  Whether the price manages to break out from the $31,500 area or gets rejected will likely determine which of the counts is true. BTC/USD Chart By TradingView For Be[in]Crypto’s previous bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here Disclaimer All the information contained on our website is published in good faith and for general information purposes only. Any action the reader takes upon the information found on our website is strictly at their own risk.   RELATED TOPICS Bitcoin (BTC) Bitcoin Analysis Bitcoin Price Bitcoin Trading Bitcoin Wave Count Source: Bitcoin (BTC) Consolidates Below $31,000 With No Clear Trend Direction (beincrypto.com)
Now you can view Bitcoin and Ethereum (ETH) prices on Twitter

ETH/USD: What's Going To Be Ether Price (USD)? What Does TA Say About 1 ETH To USD? | BeInCrypto

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 07.06.2022 21:01
Since breaking down from a long-term consolidation pattern, Ethereum (ETH) has struggled to sustain an upward movement and create a bullish structure.       ETH has been falling since reaching an all-time high price of $4,868 in Nov. After bouncing this Jan, the price created a lower high in March (red icon) and has been falling at an accelerated rate since.        The downward movement has so far led to a low of $1,700 on May 12.  An important development is that the price has broken down from an ascending parallel channel which had previously been in place since May 2021. A breakdown from such a long-term structure could cause a similarly long-term drop. Furthermore, the RSI has decreased below 50, in what is considered a sign of a bearish trend. ETH/USD Chart By TradingView Mixed readings The daily chart provides a mixed outlook. On May 8, the price broke down from a descending parallel channel.  Afterward, it validated it as resistance twice, more specifically on May 31 and June 7 (red icons).  However, the RSI has generated a bullish divergence (green line), whose trendline is still intact.  So, while the price action is bearish, the readings from the RSI are bullish.  ETH/USD Chart By TradingView A closer look at the six-hour time frame shows that ETH is trading inside a symmetrical triangle. While this is considered a neutral pattern, it is occuring after a downward movement.  As a result, it is possible that it will lead to the continuation of the downward movement. ETH/USD Chart By TradingView ETH wave count analysis Cryptocurrency trader @TheTradingHubb tweeted a chart of ETH, stating that the price could soon complete wave A of a long-term A-B-C correction. Source: Twitter While this is a possibility, it is not yet certain of the A wave is complete.  If the short-term A:C (white) waves have a 1:1 ratio, this would lead to a low of $876 prior to the reversal.  Furthermore, the exact shape of the ensuing retracement is not yet determined. ETH/USDT Chart By TradingView For Be[in]Crypto’s latest bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here Disclaimer All the information contained on our website is published in good faith and for general information purposes only. Any action the reader takes upon the information found on our website is strictly at their own risk.   RELATED TOPICS Ethereum (ETH) Ethereum Analysis Ethereum Price Ethereum Trading Source: Ethereum (ETH) Generates Bullish Divergence Despite Bearish Price (beincrypto.com)
In The Coming Days Will Be The Final Consolidation Of Bitcoin

Traders Suffer Nearly $30M in Bitcoin (BTC) Long Liquidations Within 4 Hours | BeInCrypto

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 07.06.2022 20:51
In a 4-hour period, Bitcoin traders experienced $29.22 million in long futures liquidations. This is another significant number of liquidations triggered by similar price action as on June 1.   On the night of June 6-7, the BTC price collapsed and traders lost nearly $30 million due to the liquidation of long positions. The liquidation peak was a short 4-hour period in which the Bitcoin price fell from the $31,300 area to $29,300.   Source: Coinglass This is the largest short-term liquidation of long positions since June 1. Then, as a result of similar declines in the BTC price, traders lost a total of $87.97 million over a 12-hour period (blue circle). In contrast, previously large short-term liquidations occurred on May 26, when more than $40 million in long positions were lost in 4 hours (red circle). However, today’s liquidations, despite running into the tens of millions of dollars, are still small compared to the losses in the first half of May 2022. On a long-term chart going back to March 2022, we can see that the peak of long liquidations occurred between May 9-12. At that time, traders collectively lost a record $635 million in 4 days. Source: Coinglass BTC price in the context of long liquidations The record level of long futures liquidations was caused by the fall of Bitcoin from the long-term support area of around $34,500 to the bottom at $26,700 between May 9 and 12. In turn, the current declines are the result of the consolidation of the largest cryptocurrency in the range of $28,600-$31,800, which has been in place since May 13 (black lines). BTC chart by Tradingview Also, worth noting are the two fakeouts that ended up returning to the range (blue circles). Moreover, the consolidation is taking place with weakening trading volume (blue line). Therefore, a resolution of the range can be expected around mid-June. Two possible scenarios are a bearish retest of the resistance area at $34,500 or a continuation of declines to retest the May 12 low. For Be[in]Crypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here. Disclaimer All the information contained on our website is published in good faith and for general information purposes only. Any action the reader takes upon the information found on our website is strictly at their own risk. Sponsored   RELATED TOPICS Bitcoin Analysis Bitcoin Futures Bitcoin Liquidations Bitcoin Price Bitcoin Trading Source: Traders Suffer Nearly $30M in Bitcoin (BTC) Long Liquidations Within 4 Hours - BeInCrypto
Crucial Upcoming PMI Data and High-Stake Meetings Shape China's Economic Landscape

How Have (BTC/USD) Bitcoin Price, Gold Price And Stocks Been Doing This Week? | BeInCrypto

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 03.06.2022 13:07
Be[in]Crypto brings you an overview of this week’s price movements for bitcoin (BTC), gold, and our stock pick, GameStop.     BTC While an improvement over the prior two weeks, bitcoin has been struggling to maintain a $30,000 baseline. Trading just below $29,000 on May 19, BTC rose above $30,000 the next day, but swiftly returned below. Over the next two days it trickled upward, before accelerating up to $30,000 by May 24. Hitting resistance again, it dropped back down to $29,000 and failed to recover over the next few days, eventually slipping further down to $28,250 by May 27. While it rose a bit over the following days, BTC spiked on May 30, reaching $32,000 by May 31. Once again, BTC plummeted from there to $29,000 by June 2 and is now trading around $30,000.     Bitcoin’s rise to $32,000 was a result of markets responding to the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions in China, in addition to the possibility that the Federal Reserve could loosen its hawkish stance later this year. “Bitcoin’s price action today is not entirely surprising,” said Joe DiPasquale, the CEO of crypto fund manager BitBull. “Not only is it facing pressure from traditional markets, it has also been struggling to breach the resistance zone between $31K-$32K, resulting in a breakdown from the range it set over the weekend.” GOLD The gold price has fared well over the past two weeks. Trading around $1,810 on May 19, it then shot up to $1,845 later that day, before rising even further to $1,865 by May 23. While sinking a bit from there, gold rose a bit higher by May 24 before sinking a bit back to $1,845. Over the next few days, gold reached $1,855, then dropped down further to $1,830 by June 1. However, over the past day, it has surged and is now trading around $1,865.  Gold prices rose yesterday bolstered by a dip in the dollar and data showing U.S. private payrolls rose less than expected last month. “[The job data] is really raising the recession concerns that have been brewing in the market and supporting gold,” said Ryan McKay, commodity strategist at TD Securities. According to ADP National Employment Report data, private payrolls rose by 128,000 jobs last month against a forecast for an increase of 300,000 jobs. GME GameStop shares have trickled down over the past two month, but have surged over the past week. At the beginning of April, GME dropped from $190, and had fallen to $140 by April 18. Despite a brief recovery, it continued to trickle down, hitting $115 by May 1. While maintaining around $120 the next few days, it continued to fall and hit $80 by May 11. It then shot up the next day to nearly $110 and traded between $100 and $90 until May 25. From there it shot up to nearly $150 on May 26, and while it has fallen a bit since then, it is currently trading around $135. During its latest financial results, GameStop reported sales of $1.378 billion, up from $1.277 billion during the same period last year. The company said that new and expanded brand relationships have helped boost sales, in what is likely a reference to its crypto efforts. CEO Matt Furlong said in the earnings call: “We firmly believe that digital assets are core to the future of gaming,” giving a clear indication that the company is going to double down on its digital assets strategy. GameStop will release its highly anticipated NFT marketplace in the second quarter of the year, which should inject a lot of life into the company’s business, having seen a resurgence since last year’s stock incident.  Disclaimer All the information contained on our website is published in good faith and for general information purposes only. Any action the reader takes upon the information found on our website is strictly at their own risk.   Source: BeInCrypto
Shiba Inu (SHIB) Creates Double Bottom Pattern After Bounce From May Lows | BeInCrypto

Shiba Inu (SHIB) Creates Double Bottom Pattern After Bounce From May Lows | BeInCrypto

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 01.06.2022 22:04
Shiba Inu (SHIB) has increased by 30% since its May 12 bottom and created its first higher low in the process.   SHIB has been falling since reaching an all-time high price of $0.000088 on Oct 28. Initially, the price bounced at the $0.00002 horizontal area. This is an important level since it had previously acted as resistance during the May 2021 old all-time high.    While SHIB bounced at first, it eventually broke down in May. The $0.0002 area is now expected to provide resistance once more. Besides the breakdown, the RSI has also fallen below 50 (red icon), which is considered a sign of a bearish trend. If the downward movement continues, the next closest support area would be at $0.0000065. The area has not been reached since last Sept. SHIB/USDT Chart By TradingView SHIB double bottom The daily chart shows that in the period between May 12 and 29, the price created a double bottom. This is considered a bullish pattern, meaning that it often leads to bullish trend reversals.  Additionally, the pattern was combined with bullish divergence in the RSI (green line). This in turn makes the pattern more meaningful.  If the upward movement continues, the first significant resistance area would be at $0.000017, the 0.382 Fib retracement resistance level. SHIB/USDT Chart By TradingView Short-term breakout SHIB enthusiast and holder @army_shiba tweeted a chart which shows an ascending triangle. He suggested that the price could soon break out. Source: Twitter While it took longer than anticipated, SHIB did eventually break out on May 29 after creating a descending wedge. After the breakout, the price reached a high of $0.0000123 but was rejected by the $0.0000125 resistance area. If the price manages to reclaim this resistance area, it could continue increasing until $0.000014. This would take it to a horizontal resistance area that also coincides with the top of the wedge. SHIB/USDT Chart By TradingView For Be[in]Crypto’s previous bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here Disclaimer All the information contained on our website is published in good faith and for general information purposes only. Any action the reader takes upon the information found on our website is strictly at their own risk.   Source: BeInCrypto
Apecoin (APE) Makes Five Attempts at Breaking out From Descending Resistance Line | BeInCrypto

Apecoin (APE) Makes Five Attempts at Breaking out From Descending Resistance Line | BeInCrypto

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 01.06.2022 22:01
Apecoin (APE) has been moving upwards since May 12 and has so far created one higher low in the process.   APE has been falling since reaching a high of $27.60 on April 28. Initially, the price bounced at the $14.70 horizontal area, seemingly validating it as support (green icon). But, the upward movement was unsuccessful and the price broke down the next day.        The breakdown was also combined with an RSI decrease below 50 (red icon). Such RSI movements are considered signs of bearish trends. As a result, an RSI increase above 50 would be required in order for the trend to be considered bullish. So far, the price has reached a low of $5.17 on May 11. It has increased slightly since and is currently trading at $6.70. APE/USDT Chart By TradingView Future movement Crypto trader @MTI_Trading tweeted a chart of APE, stating that despite the increase, the price is still facing significant resistance at $8. Source: Twitter A closer look at the six-hour chart shows that the price has been following a descending resistance line since May 9. The line rejected it on May 31. Additionally, APE has already created one higher low (green icon).  The main resistance area is between $7.70 and $8.30. This is the 0.5 – 0.618 Fib retracement resistance area. Additionally, it coincides with a horizontal area that previously acted as support. The area is now expected to act as resistance.  So, even if APE were to break out from the resistance line, there would be strong resistance all the way up to $8.30. The six-hour RSI is at 50, which is considered a neutral reading. So, it does not assist in determining if APE will break out or not. APE/USDT Chart By TradingView APE wave count analysis The downward movement since the April high resembles a five-wave decrease. So, it is possible that the ongoing bounce is part of an A-B-C corrective structure.  If so, the price could increase to $11, giving waves A:C a 1:1 ratio. Though, if this is the correct count, it would mean that another downward movement would eventually follow. APE/USDT Chart By TradingView For Be[in]Crypto’s previous bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here Disclaimer All the information contained on our website is published in good faith and for general information purposes only. Any action the reader takes upon the information found on our website is strictly at their own risk.   Source: BeInCrypto
Binance Academy summarise year 2022 featuring The Merge, FTX and more

How Far Can Axie Infinity (AXS) Price Go!? | BeInCrypto

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 31.05.2022 22:05
Axie Infinity (AXS) has been increasing since May 28, moving upwards by 52% from its May lows.       AXS has been falling since reaching an all-time high price of $166.09 in Nov 2021.  The downward movement so far led to a low of $16.20 in May. The ensuing bounce (green icon) served to validate the $20 area as support. The area had previously not been reached since July 2021.       The entire downward movement was preceded by a sharp bearish divergence in the weekly RSI, whose trendline is still intact. Until this trendline is broken, the trend cannot be considered bullish. If the ongoing bounce continues, the closest resistance area would be at $50. AXS/USDT Chart By TradingView Double bottom leads to bounce Between May 12 and 20, AXS created a double bottom, which is considered a bullish pattern. In addition to this, the pattern was combined with bullish divergence in the RSI (green line). As a result, its significance is increased. Furthermore, the RSI has now moved above 50, another sign that the trend is bullish. As long as the trendline of the divergence is intact, it is likely that the upward movement will continue. If it does, the closest resistance levels would be between $39 and $46, the 0.382 to 0.5 Fib retracement resistance levels. AXS/USDT Chart By TradingView AXS wave count analysis Cryptocurrency trader @Mesni_burek tweeted a chart of AXS, stating that the price is correcting after completing a five-wave upward movement. Source: Twitter While it seems that the price has completed a five-wave upward movement since March 2021, the count for the drop is less certain. It is possible that the decrease is a completed A-B-C structure. But the B wave does not retrace enough relative to the A wave, and the C wave shows no relation to A.  AXS/USDT Chart By TradingView So, the alternative would be that the decrease is a completed five-wave downward movement.  While this would mean that AXS will eventually reach a lower low, the short-term movement would be the same, in which a significant bounce towards $74 would be expected. AXS/USDT Chart By TradingView For Be[in]Crypto’s latest bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here Disclaimer All the information contained on our website is published in good faith and for general information purposes only. Any action the reader takes upon the information found on our website is strictly at their own risk.   Source: BeInCrypto
US Housing Market Faces Challenges Due to Soaring Mortgage Rates

NFT & Metaverse: Playing Chess In Metaverse!? canVERSE Is Working On Tabletop Games | BeInCrypto

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 31.05.2022 08:51
Chess fan? Then this metaverse will pretty much blow your brain. If this virtual world succeeds, it will be the metaverse we all dreamed of. A London-based Extended Reality (XR) development studio is on the cusp of releasing a life-like tabletop metaverse. If you are a chess nerd, this is your metaverse. And it is free, which is everyone’s favourite price. In development for over a year, canVERSE say they have used cutting-edge rendering technology to produce a hyper-realistic tabletop gaming experience. Charlie Hasdell is the CPO of canVERSE. “We set out to create not only the greatest-looking version of chess but also the first piece in our roadmap to the Metaverse.” The first offering is Chess. The “Early Access” Beta is available to wishlist on Steam. On canVERSE’s Community Discord server, they are asking their community to help sculpt their developmental roadmap. So now is the time to get involved if you love games like chess, backgammon and mah-jongg. Barn Cleave is the CEO of canVERSE. “We’re delighted to be developing Metaverse content, that’s interoperable, open and built with the community.” canVERSE says they hope that their “hyper-realistic tabletop gaming space will not only entertain on numerous platforms, but will be the beginning of larger discussions around how the gaming landscape is moving closer to the decentralized nature of Web 3.0 and the Metaverse.” Chess and Other Games In the canVERSE metaverse, up to 64 players are seamlessly connected for tournaments. This can be accessed via desktop, AR & VR. Players can also voice-chat in real time. While the games look realistic, the company say that their aim is connection. “Whilst at heart canVERSE aims to host really good-looking table-top games, its true purpose is to connect friends and communities globally in an immersive, totally interoperable shared environment.” Other boardgames are coming, after chess. The company say they have focused on games that have been a fundamental pastime and have continued being popular for generations. Their first offering, chess, is an “ancient and unchanging game. It transcends language and locale and has become almost culturally ubiquitous. With chess we found the perfect starting block for canVERSE and utilizing bleeding edge technology… we are able to deliver an almost- lifelike game.” NFT Ownership Developers working on the canVERSE Metaverse have designed and generated 10,000 unique NFT Chess Sets. “NFT Chess Set owners will be rewarded with future NFTs and in-game content as canVERSE grows.” The NFT chess sets can be classically styled, ornate timeless pieces. Or you can go hardcore high tech and have sleek hyper-modern pieces. Your own chess set will be unique to you, and unlike any other chess players’ sets. But also, when you buy the chess set NFTs, you can unlock an environment and board. Chess Board: Minting the NFT Players can mint all NFTs on the site. Any other site offering the NFTs will be scams. Once you own the NFT, you can hold community roles, and get pre-sale access for future NFTs, among other benefits. Checkers Another game the metaverse plans to offer is checkers. The game has been played for thousands of years. Pharaohs even loved it. It was first brought to PC in 1951. If only the pharaohs could see the metaverse version. They would never want to go back to their pyramid life. Backgammon This game is also on the way. This is one of the oldest board games still actively played. CanVERSE say that it is “a seemingly simple game to master, however, its mysteries are deep and complex with over 3 billion possible end game scenarios.” Chess nerds? Your time in the sun has arrived. Got something to say about chess in the metaverse or anything else? Write to us or join the discussion in our Telegram channel. You can also catch us on Tik Tok, Facebook, or Twitter. Disclaimer All the information contained on our website is published in good faith and for general information purposes only. Any action the reader takes upon the information found on our website is strictly at their own risk.   Source: BeInCrypto
Near Protocol (NEAR) Regains Value After 43% Wick Decrease

Near Protocol (NEAR) Regains Value After 43% Wick Decrease

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 23.12.2021 15:16
Near Protocol (NEAR) has increased by 25% so far on Dec 23 and is approaching its all-time high price of $17.50. On Dec 15, NEAR reached a new all-time high price of $17.50. However, it dropped sharply the same day, creating a long upper wick of 43.5%. Despite the drop, the token regained its footing shortly afterwards and initiated another upward movement on Dec 21. Two days later, it broke out from a descending resistance line, which had been in place since the previous all-time high. This confirmed that the correction had ended. Technical indicators are also bullish.  The MACD, which is created by a short and a long-term moving average (MA), has moved into positive territory for the first time in Dec. This means that the short-term MA is faster than the long-term one, and further confirms that the trend is bullish.  In addition to this, the RSI has moved above 50, another sign of a bullish trend. Chart By TradingView Short-term movement The six-hour chart shows that NEAR has broken out from the $12.40 horizontal resistance area.  If a short-term drop were to occur, this area would now be expected to act as support.  Similarly to the daily time-frame, both the RSI and MACD are moving upwards, supporting the continuation of the upward movement. Chart By TradingView NEAR wave count Cryptocurrency trader @KRMA_0 tweeted a NEAR chart, stating that the token could soon go ballistic. Source: Twitter The wave count indicates that NEAR is in wave three of a bullish impulse.  The deviation and reclaim of the $7 horizontal area (green circle) suggests that the token completed wave two, which is corrective.  The first potential target for the top of wave three is at $23.1. The target is found by giving waves 1:3 a 1:1.61 ratio (white) Afterwards, a potential target for the top of the entire movement would be at 30.5, created by the 4.2 external Fib retracement (black) of the most recent drop. Chart By TradingView For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here The post Near Protocol (NEAR) Regains Value After 43% Wick Decrease appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Bitcoin (BTC) On-Chain Analysis: NVTS and SSR Signal Bullish Reversal

Bitcoin (BTC) On-Chain Analysis: NVTS and SSR Signal Bullish Reversal

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 23.12.2021 12:13
Today’s on-chain analysis for Bitcoin looks at two independent indicators that seem to be generating the same bullish reversal signal. Their confluence could soon lead to a macro bottom for the BTC price. The first is the NVT Signal, which is an equally old and effective on-chain indicator. It has proven particularly effective when it has reached the “oversold” territory that has historically correlated with Bitcoin macro lows. The second is SSR, which measures the purchasing power of stablecoins against BTC. It has reached an all-time low during this correction, and the purchasing power of stablecoins is approaching record highs. Bitcoin NVTS reaches oversold level NVT Signal (NVTS) is a modified version of the original NVT Ratio indicator. The latter is calculated by dividing market capitalization by transferred on-chain volume measured in USD. In contrast, NVTS uses a 90-day moving average of daily transaction volume in the denominator instead of raw daily transaction volume. This improves the reading to better function as a leading indicator. The long-term NVTS chart shows the importance of the area near the 17.5 value (red line) from which the indicator has just bounced. This area provided support during the 2021 summer correction. It had previously reached exactly the same level during the COVID-19 crash in March 2020 and at the very bottom of the bear market in December 2018. NVTS chart by Glassnode Interestingly, the same area around 17.5 acted as resistance multiple times in 2015. Even before that, just before the second phase of the violent bull market of 2013, NVTS also found support. One of the most popular on-chain analysts, @woonomic, calls NVTS the “granddaddy” of on-chain indicators, but insists that it “still works.” In a recent tweet, he pointed out that historically it hasn’t given a very frequent reading of being “oversold” on a chart he designed himself. All the periods when NVTS fell to support (light pink) coincided with BTC price lows (green area). Source: Twitter Stablecoin buying power is increasing If NVTS is indeed currently giving a bullish signal and the Bitcoin price correction were to end soon, the price of BTC should be expected to rise. For this to happen, funds must flow into the market with which potential purchases could be made. Last week, BeInCrypto’s on-chain analysis highlighted a Stablecoin Supply Ratio (SSR) that was approaching the all-time low (ATL). Today, in fact, the SSR is at a record low (green area). This means that the purchasing power of stablecoins (USDT, TUSD, USDC, USDP, GUSD, DAI, SAI, and BUSD) is increasing relative to BTC. SSR chart by Glassnode Furthermore, we notice two (non-ideal) trend lines on the chart. The green uptrend line relates to the BTC price, which has been rising since the March 2020 bottom. The red downtrend line relates to the SSR and has been in place since July 2019. Note that its decline indicates an increase in stablecoin purchasing power. If the positive correlation between the increasing purchasing power of stablecoin and the price of BTC is maintained, we can expect the two trends to continue. The importance of the green area in the chart above is also highlighted by the analogous stablecoin buying power chart prepared by two on-chain analysts @_checkmatey_ and @permabullnino. In the long-term chart, we see green bars that indicate areas where stablecoin purchasing power has been increasing. We have highlighted periods of strong growth in this trend in purple to show the correlation with the BTC price. This turns out to be negative. Periods of a strong rise in stablecoin purchasing power have historically coincided with clear corrections in the Bitcoin price. Source: CheckOnChain This is no different during the current correction, which points to the second-largest increase in the purchasing power of stablecoins. The current trend is second only to the deeper correction of May-July this year. The juxtaposition of the two indicators of today’s on-chain analysis gives a strong indication in favor of the thesis that bitcoin is in the process of reaching a macro bottom. Historically, both indicators at their current values have been bullish signals, after which the Bitcoin price rose dynamically. For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here. The post Bitcoin (BTC) On-Chain Analysis: NVTS and SSR Signal Bullish Reversal appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Chip Shortage: My iPhone Won’t Arrive in Time for Christmas – are Bitcoin Miners to Blame?

Chip Shortage: My iPhone Won’t Arrive in Time for Christmas – are Bitcoin Miners to Blame?

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 22.12.2021 22:36
The chip shortage affects many industries. But are Bitcoin miners the scapegoat we are all looking for? Cars, smartphones, gaming: the chip shortage is affecting many industries. For example, the Playstation 5 has already been on the market for about a year, but some customers are still waiting for their devices to this day. The same holds for Apple products, such as the new iPhone. Here, too, customers have to brace themselves for higher prices. Those who want to buy a new car must also expect longer waiting times. “Depending on the make and model, the delivery time for a large proportion has leveled off at three to six months,” says Marcus Weller, a market expert at the German Association of Motor Trades and Repairs. Where does the chip shortage come from? The global chip shortage is due to two factors: an intense increase in demand and an inflexible and complicated microchip supply structure. For example, the increase in demand is characterized by car manufacturers investing in the expansion of electric vehicles. Similarly, the demand for electronic devices increased sharply as a result of the global pandemic. This was driven by more home offices being created, and homeschooling. The supply of microchips is inflexible mainly due to the complexity of manufacturing. “In fact, chips today have structures that are often only a few atomic layers thick. Highly sensitive clean rooms are required to produce them. This makes manufacturing facilities enormously expensive and complex. It can cost several billion euros to build a semiconductor plant,” says FHTW expert Peter Rössler. It seems the chip shortage will continue. Chip production is even more time-consuming. A microchip consists of a ‘wafer.’ In semiconductor manufacturing, ‘wafers’ are the disks on which the integrated circuits, the microchips, are produced. Such wafers have a lead time of six weeks to three months in a semiconductor factory. What role does crypto mining play in the chip shortage? What impact crypto mining companies have on the global chip shortage is debatable. Clearly, it can be stated that it makes a difference what type of crypto mining is involved. Bitcoin miners use 5nm or 7nm chips, which are mainly needed for the production of smartphones. Currently, there’s no scientific data or study that reliably sheds light on Bitcoin mining’s share of the microchip shortage. Projections assume that Bitcoin mining takes up about 4-6% of 5nm to 7nm chip production. Ethereum mining relies on graphics cards that are also used for gaming. Estimates suggest that 19% of graphics processing units produced in 2020 were purchased by Ethereum miners. This has led to computing power on the Ethereum network being at an all-time high, currently >900 tH/second. Conclusion The impact of crypto mining on chip shortages is thus industry and currency-specific. While gaming PCs are strongly competing with Ethereum miners, the impact of Bitcoin mining on smartphone production seems to be rather limited. So, if the new iPhone is not found under the Christmas tree in time this year, Bitcoin is probably only partly to blame. Do you think Bitcoin miners are responsible for the chip shortage? Let us know here. The post Chip Shortage: My iPhone Won’t Arrive in Time for Christmas – are Bitcoin Miners to Blame? appeared first on BeInCrypto.
El Salvador Adds 21 BTC to Reserves to Mark a Special Occasion

El Salvador Adds 21 BTC to Reserves to Mark a Special Occasion

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 22.12.2021 07:57
El Salvador has purchased 21 BTC to mark a special occasion of the 21st century. The purchase was simply a symbolic one and is dwarfed by much larger purchases made throughout 2021. El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has announced that the country added more BTC to its reserves. The purchase was made on Dec 21, which saw 21 BTC bought at 21:00. The purchase was made to mark the 21st day of the year of the 21st year of the 21st century and is purely symbolic in nature. El Salvador has made multiple bitcoin buys in the past, and this one hardly compares in terms of volume. 21 BTC at the current market price amounts to just over $1 million. In October 2021, the country purchased 420 BTC while the market was down and hundreds of bitcoins before that. This new purchase of bitcoin doesn’t really add a significant amount to the country’s coffers, but it does indicate how much conviction some of the officials have. President Bukele is the most prominent of these, and his words and actions have won both praise and criticism. The country has taken several steps in the past few months to bolster the adoption of bitcoin. Bukele has upset many groups within and outside the country, but that has not stopped him from marching ahead with the adoption plans. While the country takes several steps to improve infrastructure, its citizens feel ambivalent about the move. However, Bukele has shown confidence and says that bitcoin usage is exceeding expectations. El Salvador’s citizens divided on BTC adoption The country has been stepping up its pace in terms of infrastructure development. More than 200 bitcoin ATMs are believed to be operational in the country, and the Chivo wallet has crossed two million users. But citizens are wary of these developments. Many had taken to the streets prior to the official adoption date to protest it, though it didn’t have much effect. Since then, Bukele and his team have only doubled down on their bitcoin expansion efforts. Among the new changes that the country’s president is pushing for is a bitcoin city powered by geothermal energy. Some have called this plan absurd, but none of these criticisms seem to bother Bukele and the government. The post El Salvador Adds 21 BTC to Reserves to Mark a Special Occasion appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Harmony (ONE) Reclaims Previous All-Time High Level

Harmony (ONE) Reclaims Previous All-Time High Level

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 22.12.2021 06:35
Harmony (ONE) could confirm its bullish reversal with a breakout from the current descending resistance line and the $0.287 resistance area. ONE has been decreasing since reaching an all-time high price of $0.38 on Oct 26. The downward move led to a local low of $0.233 on Dec 4.  A significant bounce followed and ONE reclaimed both the ascending support line and the $0.225 horizontal area. Such reclamations are considered bullish developments and often precede further significant upward moves. The fact that the $0.225 area previously acted as the all-time high resistance further supports this possibility. Technical indicators have also turned bullish.  The MACD, which is created by short and long-term moving averages (MA), is moving upwards and is nearly positive. This means that the short-term MA is moving at a faster rate than the long-term average.  The RSI, which is a momentum indicator, has just crossed above 50. Movements above the 50-line are often considered to be a sign of a bullish trend. ONE Chart By TradingView Short-term movement The six-hour chart shows that ONE has been following a descending resistance line since the aforementioned all-time high price.  The line currently coincides with the $0.287 resistance area, which is created by the 0.618 Fib retracement resistance level. A breakout above this resistance it is required in order for a bullish reversal to be confirmed. ONE Chart By TradingView ONE wave count Due to the overlap between the Nov 18 low and Dec 19 highs (red line), it seems likely that the decrease was part of an A-B-C corrective structure. This means that the correction is complete and ONE will continue moving upwards. The closest resistance area is found at $0.328, just below the current all-time high price. If ONE is successful in moving above it, the next resistance would be found at $0.527. This target is the 1.61 external Fib retracement resistance level. ONE Chart By TradingView ONE/BTC Cryptocurrency trader @CryptoNTez tweeted a ONE/BTC chart, stating that the pair could increase towards 520 satoshis. Source: Twitter/TradingView ONE/BTC is also following a descending resistance line that’s been in place since the all-time high.  Similar to the USD pair, the MACD and RSI are both bullish. Therefore, a breakout from the line and an eventual new all-time high is likely. ONE/BTC Chart By TradingView For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here The post Harmony (ONE) Reclaims Previous All-Time High Level appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Visor Finance Hacked For $8M in Latest DeFi Exploit

Visor Finance Hacked For $8M in Latest DeFi Exploit

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 22.12.2021 05:22
The latest decentralized finance (DeFi) exploit victim this week is the active liquidity management protocol Visor Finance. The DeFi protocol team reported the incident in a tweet in the late hours of Dec, 21. It stated that the staking contract had been exploited and user funds would be replaced. We are aware of an exploit of the vVISR staking contract and are implementing a migration plan for affected VISR. No positions or hypervisor’s are at risk. An hour or so later, Visor Finance stated that it will be implementing a token migration based upon a snapshot before the exploit. Not the first time In a post mortem a few hours later, the Visor team revealed that a malicious smart contract drained the protocol’s staking contract of 8,812,958 VISR tokens. At the time of the exploit, this was valued at around $8.1 million. A flaw in the staking contract enabled a user-created contract to manipulate the transfer function and drain the staking pool. It comes a little too late, but Visor Finance said that its current audits are in process and a new contract will be written; We are engaged with both Quantstamp and ConsenSys Diligence for December and January audits and this new staking contract will be included. The team stated that it will be launching a new token, replacing the old VISR token ticker symbol with the new one. It added that this has already begun and users will get recompensed 1:1 with the new token which it has already started listing. “No one should buy VISR as it will not be redeemable for the new token,” the blog post stated. It’s not the first time the protocol has been exploited. In late June an attacker obtained access to an account that managed some of its admin functions resulting in the theft of around $500,000. VISR token collapses Just as it did when the protocol was exploited earlier this year, the VISR token has collapsed to virtually zero. Before the hack, around nine hours ago at the time of press, VISR was trading at $0.93 according to CoinGecko. It has currently crashed to $0.02 having lost 97.5% over the past few hours. The beleaguered token is currently down 99.4% from its May 5 all-time high of $4.11. It is the second major DeFi exploit in as many days as Grim Finance lost $30 million on Monday. The post Visor Finance Hacked For $8M in Latest DeFi Exploit appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Artist Auctioning NFT Trolling Satoshi Statue for Charity

Artist Auctioning NFT Trolling Satoshi Statue for Charity

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 21.12.2021 23:13
A Hungarian artist is auctioning a non-fungible token (NFT) he created featuring the Satoshi Nakamoto statue in Budapest, Hungary. Commenting on the high electrical cost of Bitcoin, artist Peter Weiler placed an oversized bill for $18,894,650,000 around the neck of the statue. Despite his enthusiasm for crypto, Weiler said he felt the need to raise awareness about the amount of energy consumed by mining Bitcoin. “So much wealth has been created by crypto and we need to see at what cost,” Weiler said in his post on Facebook. He added that change is necessary and would come soon “with energy friendly and cost-efficient crypto solutions.” It is for these environmental concerns that he advocated the use of Tezos to mint NFTs. Reflecting on rising energy prices that come along with winter, Weiler said he would donate the proceeds of the NFT to a homeless shelter in Budapest. “I thought that my guerilla action at the Satoshi sculpture in Budapest could also do some good,” Weiler said. Satoshi statue  In September, the world’s first statue of Bitcoin inventor Satoshi Nakamoto was unveiled in Graphisoft Park, in Budapest, Hungary. Symbolically, the statue’s face features a reflective surface, so onlookers can see themselves as Nakamoto. BeInCrypto spoke with the person responsible for the state, András Györfi, after the statue was initially announced over the summer. Györfi said he created the statue after being inspired by the significance of blockchain technology and the artistic qualities of NFTs. He added that his ambition was for the statue to become the one known predominantly throughout the world. It is this perspective that gave Györfi a nuanced perspective regarding the social commentary featuring his work. “I’m happy to see that the statue has its own life, [that] people think of it when they think about Satoshi, however trolling someone’s work is never nice,” he said. “But Bitcoin truly has an energy consumption issue, [and] the mining community has to figure this out.” The post Artist Auctioning NFT Trolling Satoshi Statue for Charity appeared first on BeInCrypto.
NVT Shows Legitimate Bitcoin (BTC) Growth — On-Chain Analysis

NVT Shows Legitimate Bitcoin (BTC) Growth — On-Chain Analysis

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 21.12.2021 21:00
In this article, BeInCrypto takes a look at Bitcoin (BTC) on-chain indicators, focusing especially on the Network Value to Transaction (NVT) ratio.  What is NVT? The NVT (Network Value to Transaction) is an on-chain indicator which shows the relationship between transaction volume and market capitalization. It is simply the ratio between the market value and the daily transaction volume. A very high value is considered bearish, since it means that the increase in market value is not supported by an increase in transaction volume. For a more detailed explanation, click here. Current reading Since July 2019, NVT has been hovering between 13 and 40, with the exception of a few deviations above and below. Therefore, it is possible to say that the indicator has created a range between these two levels. On July 25, NVT reached an all-time high of 60.46. At the time, the BTC price was trading at $33,000.  Despite the fact that the price has been increasing, NVT has been falling since and is currently at 32.3, right in the middle of its long-term range.  Therefore, while the increase in the price of BTC was not supported by an increase in transactions in July, it is supported now. Chart By Glassnode This is more clearly visible when looking at the number of daily transactions. Transactions were at 195,248 in July, while they are currently at 255,488. This increase in the number of transactions is behind the drop in NVT. Chart By Glassnode NVT signal On-Chain analyst @Woonomic tweeted a NVT signal chart, which shows an oversold reading. Source: Twitter Since the 2018 bottom, NVT has fallen below 20 only four times (black circles). Each was followed by a significant upward movement. Therefore, if previous history is any indication, a significant upward movement is likely to follow. Chart By Glassnode For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here The post NVT Shows Legitimate Bitcoin (BTC) Growth — On-Chain Analysis appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Binance Helping Dubai Crypto Zone Develop Regulations

Binance Helping Dubai Crypto Zone Develop Regulations

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 21.12.2021 19:30
Binance is partnering with the Dubai World Trade Centre Authority (DWTCA) to help develop regulations for the fledgling cryptocurrency center. The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by volume signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the DWTCA, according to a post on the company’s blog. Binance said it would “help advance Dubai’s commitment to establishing a new international Virtual Asset ecosystem.” Having collaborated with global regulators after coming under scrutiny this year, Binance plans to share this experience with the DWTCA to facilitate the development of the country’s regulatory regime. Another stated goal was to assist in the licensing of “crypto exchanges, businesses that offer blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) services, and a wide range of digital currencies.” “Through our leadership position and expertise, combined with the long-term vision of Dubai, we plan to develop a regulatory framework appropriate to fit the fast-moving and progressive nature of virtual assets,” said Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao. Crypto zone Earlier this week, the Dubai Media Office declared that the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) would become a crypto zone, as well as a regulator for cryptocurrencies and other virtual assets. Amid intensifying regional economic competition, the DWTCA is working to establish an international virtual asset ecosystem in an effort to attract new business. A “free-zone” within the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the DWTCA had agreed to the framework enabling it to approve and license crypto-related financial activities in September. Meanwhile, another free-zone, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) established an initial regulatory framework for digital tokens in October. Binance in UAE The move contributes to growing speculation that Binance intends to establish a headquarters in the UAE. Last week, Binance executives met with officials from special economic zones within the UAE about a prospective move. Zhao had said last month that Binance had chosen a location for its global headquarters but would only announce it after communicating with regulators. There are other indicators pointing to the UAE as Binance’s choice. For one, Binance recently acquired former senior officials from a few of the economic zones. Additionally, Zhao had earlier praised the UAE as being “pro-crypto,” along with France and Singapore, and recently bought his first home there as well. The post Binance Helping Dubai Crypto Zone Develop Regulations appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Asia Morning Bites: Trade Data from Australia, Taiwan Inflation, and US Fed Minutes Highlighted

Five Biggest Altcoin Gainers From Feb. 8 – Feb. 15

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 15.02.2021 14:35
BeInCrypto breaks down some of the biggest altcoin movers and shakers from the previous week. Will their momentum continue? During the week of Feb 8 -15, these five altcoin picks rallied the most: Bitcoin Gold (BTG) – 125% Ravencoin (RVN) – 125% DASH (DASH) – 124% Graph Token (GRT) – 113% Lisk (LSK) – 109% Biggest Altcoin Gainers BTG has increased considerably over the past two weeks but has yet to move above an important resistance area at $32. RVN reached an all-time high price of $0.09 on Feb. 14 and is currently in the process of validating the previous all-time high resistance area as support. DASH has already moved above the long-term $236 resistance area and should continue increasing at an accelerated rate. Despite reaching an all-time high of $2.81 on Feb. 11, the lack of price history for GRT makes analysis of the token difficult. LSK reached an all-time high price of $4.93 on Feb. 14 but has fallen slightly since, retesting the all-time high resistance area, above which it previously broke out from. BTG The BTG chart shows a massive upward move that has been going on since a breakout from it validated a long-term descending resistance line as support (green arrow). Since then, the BTG increase has turned parabolic, reaching a high of $33 so far. All three of the: RSI, MACD, and Stochastic Oscillator are still increasing, suggesting that the trend is bullish. However, until BTG breaks out from the $32 area and validates it as support, the upward move is not yet confirmed. BTG has not reached a close above this level since Jul. 2018. If it does so successfully, the rate of increase should significantly accelerate. BTG Chart By TradingViewRVN RVN increased considerably last week, reaching an all-time high price of $0.09 in the process. While RVN has fallen slightly since, it’s in the process of validating the previous all-time high resistance area at $0.075 as support. Technical indicators are bullish since all three of the: MACD, RSI, and Stochastic Oscillator are increasing. Once RVN manages to clear this area and validate it as support, the rate of increase is likely to accelerate. RVN Chart By TradingViewDASH Last week’s rally took DASH above the $236 resistance area, the 0.382 Fib retracement level of the most recent downward move. Previously, DASH had traded below this level since Apr. 2018. Currently, DASH is in the process of moving above this area, something which could trigger an accelerated rally towards the next resistance area at $571. Technical indicators are bullish and support the continuation of the upward movement. DASH Chart By TradingViewGRT The GRT chart shows a significant upward movement that has been going on for the past week. This led to an all-time high price of $2.81 on Feb. 12. GRT fell shortly afterward but has regained the majority of its losses since then. Before Dec. 17, 2020, the lack of price history makes it difficult to construct a proper analysis of the token. GRT Chart By TradingViewLSK LSK has increased immensely over the past three days, reaching an all-time high price of $4.70 on Feb. 14. While it has dropped significantly since then, the decline served to validate the $2.90 area as support, leaving a long lower wick behind. Technical indicators are bullish, and since there is no resistance above the current price, the rate of increase may significantly accelerate from here on out. LSK Chart By TradingViewFor BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here. The post Five Biggest Altcoin Gainers From Feb. 8 – Feb. 15 appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Crypto Market Downturn Forces Nearly $2 Billion in Liquidations

Crypto Market Downturn Forces Nearly $2 Billion in Liquidations

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 15.02.2021 08:05
After Bitcoin climbed to a new all-time high just under $50,000 on Feb. 14, a sharp correction caused problems for many optimistic crypto traders. According to CoinGecko data, Bitcoin made another new all-time high of $49,531 in the late hours of Feb. 14. With the magical $50,000 milestone closer than ever, excited crypto traders went in heavy on long positions. The market had other plans, however. As Bitcoin fell back to a local low of under $46,000 in the early hours of Feb. 15, the entire crypto market cap saw $1 billion wiped away. This downturn acted to liquidate many over-leveraged long positions. Data from Bybt is showing that in the last 24 hours, $1.89 billion in losses were incurred. Cryptocurrency Liquidations Data from BybtBitcoin and Ethereum made up the bulk of the liquidations as per usual, totaling over $9 million between the two. It also seems that XRP traders were caught off guard. XRP had been steadily climbing its way back up after losing 50% following the announcement of an SEC lawsuit against Ripple Labs. Traders lost nearly $100 million betting on a continued revival. Other notable losses include EOS, Litecoin (LTC), and Cardano (ADA), all of which have enjoyed recent spikes to multi-year highs. Each saw more than $50 million in liquidated losses. This marks the third-highest figure for liquidations since the beginning of 2021. On Jan. 10, long traders were squeezed for $2.5 billion after Bitcoin fell from $41,000 to $30,000. This was also on the same day that Ethereum fell from a then-all-time-high of $1,350 back to $900. It appears that the bleeding has paused for the time being. At the time of press, Bitcoin had recovered slightly and is back to trading at the $47,400 level. The post Crypto Market Downturn Forces Nearly $2 Billion in Liquidations appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) take the Limelight at Ethereum Conference

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) take the Limelight at Ethereum Conference

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 15.02.2021 06:00
Non-fungible tokens have been gaining momentum over the past few months. Plenty of new projects were showcased at last week’s Ethereum Denver hackathon event. This year’s ETHDenver event ran from Feb. 5 to 12 but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was hosted online. This year, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have been all the rage and industry data provider DeFiPrime has been looking into what has been grabbing the attention. The hackathon brings the Ethereum community together and allows developers to showcase new projects, some of which end up integrating themselves into the Ethereum ecosystem Most interesting #defi and NFT projects from @EthereumDenver hackathon in this thread(in no particular order)— defiprime (@defiprime) February 14, 2021NFTs Making an Impact In essence, non-fungible tokens are uniquely distinguishable digital assets which means no two are the same. They are usually issued on the Ethereum ERC-721 standard which creates verifiable digital scarcity. An NFT for a virtual plot of land recently sold for a record $1.5 million. Masterfile is a new platform that ties digital rights management to an NFT, securing it against copyright infringement. Its native MFT token is focused on Digital Rights Management (DRM) and the team hopes to enable permission-based NFT experiences. Another interesting platform is NFTea Room which is a DAO for determining accurate prices and information for NFTs. Currently, there are several different marketplaces such as OpenSea and Rarible but no platform offering accurate pricing information. A platform called HEATDEX aims to track the ‘hype’ and social sentiment of popular NFTs. Crypto artists can then use this to gauge what is hot and what is not in the world of digital art. Multiple prizes were also awarded to the winners of a number of bug bounties and competitions held over the week-long event. Cheers to another amazing year Spork Marmots! And congratulations to all who BUIDLed Here is our list of bounty, track & quadratic funding winners for #ETHDenver & #ColoradoJam 2021 https://t.co/JpM6eUylH2 #putasporkinit— ETHDenver (@EthereumDenver) February 13, 2021DeFi and Gas Savings In addition to the big NFT presence were a number of DeFi-oriented projects and proposals. Sublimate.Finance is one that lets users accept continuous financial support from anyone, paid automatically over time in ERC-20 tokens per block. FreeFund is a similar project that provides a decentralized crowdfunding platform that accepts crypto to kickstart projects. A project called Gasless Wallet allows users to pay transaction fees in any ERC-20 tokens, which means they do not have to buy ETH to interact with smart contracts. The Gasless Chain Agnostic Minter also helps improve the NFT minting process by offering gasless transaction and cross-chain compatibility. A protocol called Verager was introduced, allowing traders to use leverage without having to worry about liquidation. Another called JamBot works as a collective intelligence platform for DeFi education. It’s likely that many of these projects and proposals will disappear into the digital dust, but one or two could become the next big thing in the ever-evolving crypto and DeFi landscape. The post Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) take the Limelight at Ethereum Conference appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Decarbonizing Hard-to-Abate Sectors: Key Challenges and Pathways Forward

Mark Cuban: Ethereum Better Than Bitcoin as Store of Value

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 14.02.2021 19:54
TV personality and investor Mark Cuban thinks Ethereum might be a better store of value than Bitcoin. Shark Tank: Ethereum vs Bitcoin In a recent podcast with DeFi blog The Defiant, billionaire investor Mark Cuban suggests Ethereum (ETH) could be the future of stores of value. Cuban, famous for his appearance on the television series Shark Tank, says cryptocurrency’s second token could even outdo Bitcoin (BTC) in that area. Cuban’s comments surprise few who know him. He questioned BTC in the past, and called its price surges bubble-like. Moreover, the sports billionaire also made clear in the podcast his excitement for smart contracts. More generally, however, Cuban is a fan of cryptocurrency. He instructed his basketball team, the Dallas Mavericks, to accept cryptocurrency payments. Moreover, in a recent ask-me-anything (AMA) on Reddit, Cuban revealed his cryptocurrency holdings, which include decentralized finance project Aave (AAVE). The Celebrity Effect Cuban isn’t the only celebrity or billionaire for that matter with a keen interest in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space. As has been thoroughly covered, Tesla’s Elon Musk is an enthusiastic participant in the cryptocurrency world. The eccentric billionaire owner of SpaceX tweets on cryptocurrency’s own everlasting meme, Dogecoin (DOGE). Last year, when Musk tweeted “One word: Doge”, the canine-themed cryptocurrency leapt over 1000%. Indeed, the continuous tweeting by the billionaire on the topic of cryptocurrencies led to a study that looked at the effects of those tweets on crypto-prices. Unsurprisingly, the study found a significant “abnormal effect” by Musk on both DOGE and BTC. Musk’s popularization of cryptocurrencies on Twitter even led to a number of other celebrities, Snoop Dogg among them, endorsing DOGE, approving its mainstream meme status. A New Class Although celebrities potentially treat cryptocurrency space as a vehicle for entertainment, a new class of cryptocurrency owning business is seriously investing in the space. Take MicroStrategy, for example. The business analytics firm made headlines in December for its bid to raise $600 million, all of which was destined for BTC. Recently, it purchased $10 million worth of the top-cryptocurrency in one go. Moreover, Musk’s own Tesla recently revealed in a filing that it scooped up $1.5 billion worth of BTC in January. Celebrities tend to follow the popular culture and vice versa. When Cuban, Musk and Snoop Dogg show interest in the industry, investment advice aside, they reflect public interest. As Bitcoin currently hovers under $50,000, more will likely have something to say. The post Mark Cuban: Ethereum Better Than Bitcoin as Store of Value appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Decarbonizing Hard-to-Abate Sectors: Key Challenges and Pathways Forward

SEC Commissioner Hester Pierce Calls for Clarity on Regs

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 14.02.2021 15:22
As Bitcoin closes in on $50,000, a significant psychological price level, one of the SEC’s top brass calls for additional regulatory oversight. Nicknamed “Crypto Mom” by her supporters due to her positive outlook regarding cryptocurrencies, Securities and Exchange (SEC) Commissioner Hester Pierce is calling for additional clarity into cryptocurrency regulatory oversight. This comes following the recent announcement by Telsa stating that it purchased $1.5 billion worth of Bitcoin. Furthermore, Mastercard, one of the world’s leading transaction platforms, will be integrating cryptocurrency payment options. When asked about the future of crypto regulations, Pierce said, “It’s not only that there have been calls for clarity for some time and that a new administration brings the chance to take a fresh look, but it also is a moment where it seems others in the marketplace are also taking a fresh look”. No One Wants Another XRP Debacle As cryptocurrencies garner more users and continue to smash through record highs, regulators may deem additional oversight necessary. This can affect stakeholders throughout the ecosystem, companies, project founds, partners, investors, traders, and more. The potential trouble with the lack of regulation is being experienced by Ripple Labs and two of its executives. Charges recently filed by the SEC accuse the parties of selling over $1 billion worth of unregulated securities. They state that XRP is a security and its lack of regulatory compliance is illegal. The SEC has made definitive statements about Bitcoin and Ether. It deems neither a security, but has not provided much insight outside of those two assets. This has heavily irritated some XRP investors, claiming that the SEC had over seven years since XRP’s creation to bring this up, and that bringing it up now only harms investors. Since the announcement, many trading platforms and XRP partners have removed the asset or temporarily ceased operations with the network. We may not know precisely how this suit will turn out. However, it shows that the lack of clear regulatory oversight leads to massive blunders. These may hurt every day traders when it comes to an end. Although it has since begun to recover, XRP saw a gigantic price decrease following the charges. Potential Wall Street Collusion Pushes the Masses Towards Decentralization The debauchery displayed by Wall Street exposed another fundamental reason for enhanced cryptocurrency regulations. Following an uprising from a community of Redditors who decided to fight back against institutional investors, many exchanges shut down trading, stopping the ability to purchase specific stocks and directly benefiting the elite shorting the market. This unadulterated display of greed has shown a whole new generation of investors just how corrupt the financial ecosystem is. They must do something to change it. With the growth of decentralized exchanges, and some hoping to one day host and trade regulated securities, more clarity is needed on how to run operations. Hopefully, Pierce and her fellow regulators can implement user focused regulations that provide a safety cushion to stakeholders in the industry. The post SEC Commissioner Hester Pierce Calls for Clarity on Regs appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Asia Morning Bites: Trade Data from Australia, Taiwan Inflation, and US Fed Minutes Highlighted

Bitcoin Breaks $49,000: Is $50k Far Away?

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 14.02.2021 08:17
Bitcoin saw a 2% jump over the last two hours as institutional news filtered through the crypto community. BTC briefly touched $49,000. Bitcoin surged 2% starting shortly after 5AM London time on Feb 14. The initial indication is that news from corporations may be having an effect. This ranges from North America’s first Bitcoin Exchange Traded Fund launching in Canada on Feb. 11 to a Bloomberg report claiming that Morgan Stanley’s $150 billion arm Counterpoint Global is considering an entry into Bitcoin. Serious News The Bitcoin news flow for the past several days has been serious – in a good way. On Feb. 8, the news broke that in January, Grayscale added Bitcoin to its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust an amount totaling 150% of the BTC mined during the month. On Feb. 11, Grayscale tweeted a table showing its holdings. GBTC now holds over $30 billion in BTC under management. According to Bybt, Grayscale owns 653,830 BTC. 02/11/21 UPDATE: Net Assets Under Management, Holdings per Share, and Market Price per Share for our Investment Products.Total AUM: $36.8 billion$BTC $BCH $ETH $ETC $ZEN $LTC $XLM $ZEC pic.twitter.com/d7I2sPMwZ4— Grayscale (@Grayscale) February 11, 2021The Holy Grail – in Canada Grayscale rose to prominence by offering a way for institutional investors to gain indirect exposure to BTC. Because GBTC and Grayscale’s altcoin offerings are not traded on a market, they are regulated differently from those that are.  However, American institutional investors interested in Bitcoin have been clamoring for an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF). A filing by Gemini Trust in 2017 was denied by the Securities and Exchange Commission because of the immaturity of the Bitcoin market. Unfortunately for professional traders, this was the first of many such denials by the SEC. On Feb. 11, Purpose Bitcoin Fund launched in Canada. This fund is the first Bitcoin ETF in North America, and it trades on the Toronto exchange. Furthermore, Gemini Trust is the sub-trustee responsible for holdings outside of Canada. Purpose Investments is the first, but the likelihood of the SEC continuing to deny ETFs in the US is unlikely. Valkyrie Fund filed for an ETF in January, 2021, and the pressure on the SEC to approve the fund is now greater. Such an OK would enable even more institutional investors to gain exposure to BTC. Morgan Stanley – in Bitcoin Bloomberg broke a story on Feb. 13 that, according to its sources, Morgan Stanley was considering an entry into the BTC market. The investing giant’s $150 billion dollar Counterpoint Global would take on the investment. However, the move requires both regulatory approval and an OK from its corporate parent. If Morgan Stanley puts its seal of approval on a Counterpoint Global entry, a $50,000 BTC is only the beginning. The significance of a Morgan Stanley entry led Gemini Trust co-owner Cameron Winklevoss to tweet: More and more institutions are getting ready to go big into #Bitcoin https://t.co/PyQKtBiPM9— Cameron Winklevoss (@cameron) February 14, 2021The post Bitcoin Breaks $49,000: Is $50k Far Away? appeared first on BeInCrypto.
New York Climate Week: A Call for Urgent and Collective Climate Action

Grayscale Purchases 53,000 ETH in One Day

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 13.02.2021 17:30
Cryptocurrency analytics company Glassnode points out that Grayscale has bought 195,000 ETH in February. Grayscale continues to have an appetite for cryptocurrency, according to Glassnode. Since the beginning of 2021, the value of Grayscale’s Ethereum under management has doubled. Glassnode tweeted that the ETH under Grayscale’s management now equals $5.5 billion. Some of this increase, no doubt, is due to the token’s new all-time-high prices. However, Grayscale made a series of purchases as well. One of these purchases, on Feb. 11, included 53,000 ETH. Since the Grayscale #Ethereum Trust reopened in February, at total of 195,000 ETH have flown into the trust.53,000 #ETH were added yesterday alone.The current AUM of the ETHE Trust is $5.5B – more than double since the beginning of the year.Chart https://t.co/vMSR92txy9 pic.twitter.com/SgZ3ntLDqk— glassnode (@glassnode) February 12, 2021Grayscale itself posted a tweet on Feb. 11 regarding its holdings. 02/11/21 UPDATE: Net Assets Under Management, Holdings per Share, and Market Price per Share for our Investment Products.Total AUM: $36.8 billion$BTC $BCH $ETH $ETC $ZEN $LTC $XLM $ZEC pic.twitter.com/d7I2sPMwZ4— Grayscale (@Grayscale) February 11, 2021February Reopening The Ethereum purchases come after Grayscale reopened its Ethereum trust to qualified investors on Feb. 1. The fund had been closed over the winter holidays, and so institutional investors wanting to ride the ETH rising tide had to sit it out. Also in the first week, Grayscale purchased 83,678 ETH for a total of $139 million.This brought the company’s total Assets Under Management to $30 billion at then-current prices. Grayscale Diversifying The tweet from Grayscale also shows how much the company has diversified since bursting onto the scene in 2020. There are now trusts for Litecoin, Stellar, and ZCash. An XRP fund has been delisted, however. This is due to the potential exposure to (not to mention lack of demand for) XRP because of the SEC lawsuits against Ripple and two of its CEOs. In spite of the XRP removal, the company continues to grow. It filed with the State of Delaware for a variety of trusts related to DeFi projects. These include Aave, Polkadot, Uniswap (UNI), Cosmos (ATOM), Monero (XMR), Theta, (THETA) and Cardano (ADA). In total, Grayscale has filed for 33 registered trusts with the State of Delaware. Nine are currently live. Is this the End? Grayscale is by far the biggest active participant in the cryptocurrency market at the moment. However, it is possible that this will change over the course of 2021. On Feb. 11, the Canadian firm Purpose Investments launched North America’s first Bitcoin Exchange Traded Fund (ETF). The Purpose Bitcoin ETF will trade on the Toronto Exchange.  As ETFs have been the holy grail of institutional investment into cryptocurrency since 2017, when Gemini Trust applied for a bitcoin ETF, this news could shake the institutional investment world. If an American bitcoin ETF is approved by the SEC, the future flow of money to Grayscale by institutions who cannot or will not directly hold BTC is no longer guaranteed. The post Grayscale Purchases 53,000 ETH in One Day appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Decarbonizing Hard-to-Abate Sectors: Key Challenges and Pathways Forward

Canada Launches First Bitcoin ETF: Is the US Far Behind?

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 13.02.2021 08:32
Canada’s Purpose Investments launched its bitcoin exchange traded fund on Feb. 11, according to its website. The Purpose Bitcoin ETF, which the Canadian government approved, becomes the first crypto exchange traded fund (ETF) in North America. CAD and USD versions will trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the tickers BTCC and BTCC.U respectively. According to the prospectus, the ETF will be audited by Big Four advisory Ernst and Young. Cidel Trust will handle custodian chores in Canada, while Gemini Trust Company, which is owned by Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, is the sub-trustee for non-Canadian holdings. Canadian Connection to Gemini Gemini Trust is more than just a big name partner for Purpose Investments. The Winklevoss twins were among the first in the US to apply for a bitcoin ETF back in 2017. Their interest in institutional investment vehicles as well as the October 2020 integration of US tax calculation applications to their platform positions the company well as a sub-custodian in this case. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) denied the Gemini Trust bitcoin ETF application due to the immaturity of the bitcoin market at the time. However, the Winklevoss twins claim that they are still interested in pursuing this direction. Canada Now; US Next? Canada can now claim this first in bitcoin history for North America. In the US, Gemini is not alone in trying to gain SEC approval for an ETF. On Jan. 22, Valkyrie Fund filed an application with the SEC to establish an ETF. VanEck also dusted off its plans for a bitcoin ETF, which had been formally withdrawn in 2019. Hope for Change The change in the US after the presidential election brings some hope for the cryptocurrency community and professional investors. The latter entering the market in 2020 made the current bitcoin bull run possible. Thus far, institutional investors attempting to gain exposure to cryptocurrency do so through investment companies such as Grayscale. As a result, Grayscale Bitcoin Fund has been a huge success.  The ability to hold exposure and trade on North American markets was not possible in the US until Thursday. However, investors dealing on American markets are still stuck waiting. The Yellen Era Will the new Chair of the SEC, Janet Yellen, move the commission’s stance on crypto? She has given mixed messages since her tenure as head of the US Treasury Department. Two issues will show the direction of the SEC in the Yellen era. These are how the SEC handles the Ripple Labs case. The SEC, under former-Secretary Mnuchin, charged Ripple and two of its CEOs with selling unregistered securities. The other issue? ETFs. If Yellen makes a change regarding ETFs, then the US may eventually catch up with Canada. The post Canada Launches First Bitcoin ETF: Is the US Far Behind? appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Boosting Stimulus: A Look at Recent Developments and Market Impact

Microsoft and Enjin Roll Out NFT-Based Reward System to Praise Women in Science

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 12.02.2021 10:26
Microsoft has teamed up with gaming-based blockchain platform Enjin to roll out customizable non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The tokens will be compatible and transferrable with sandbox-adventure video game Minecraft. According to an announcement made on Feb. 11, the initiative, the brainchild of both companies, has been launched to mark International Day of Women and Girls in Science. To mark the occasion, Microsoft has unveiled Enjin’s blockchain-based Azure Space Mystery mini-game which distributes exclusive NFTs as rewards among the community for performing learning tasks. “Players will work to save the International Space Station, while learning from and celebrating prominent European female scientists, including Caroline Herschel, Mary Somerville, Hypatia and Raymonde de Laroche,” the announcement reads. Following Azure Mystery Mansion and Azure Maya Mystery we present to you: #AzureSpaceMystery https://t.co/JEeQeJD2x8 Complete this text-based game and get to know amazing women in (space) technology pic.twitter.com/j5e4DGo0O0— Microsoft Developer Western Europe (@Msdev_WE) February 11, 2021Enjin’s Other Recent Developments In recent months, Enjin has been actively partnering with tech companies around the world. Last December, the blockchain firm revealed a collaboration with Atari, one of the oldest names in the video game industry. The partnership is set to bring the development of a decentralized gaming ecosystem, wherein Enjin will be creating Atari-based NFTs usable in its gaming portfolio. Last month, the world saw the partnership between Enjin and Kizuna and Miss Bitcoin to launch an NFT charity program. Kizuna is a hub for bitcoin (BTC) donations with no handling fees, and Miss Bitcoin is a popular blockchain entrepreneur. As BeInCrypto previously reported, the first campaign of the philanthropic program will involve tokenized art created by Japanese artists. Funds raised from the campaign will be directed to the Dream Possibility (DxP), a non-profit organization providing help for teenagers facing coronavirus-related issues. Moreover, in January, Enjin gained approval from the Japanese Virtual Currency Exchange Association to have its native ENJ token approved in Japan. To receive it, Enjin went through a year-and-a-half regulatory due diligence. NFTs Have Become Increasingly Popular NFTs are indeed gaining traction these days. On Feb. 10, for example, Pokemon-inspired blockchain gaming platform Axie Infinity reported the largest NFT sale in history. A user going by the moniker “Flying Falcon” doled out 888.25 ethereum (ETH) (approximately $1.5 million, at the time). The new owner of the NFT set commented: “We’re witnessing a historic moment; the rise of digital nations with their own system of clearly delineated, irrevocable property rights. Axie land has entertainment value, social value, and economic value in the form of future resource flows.” As DeFi researcher Cooper Turley outlined in his recent blog post, there are already almost 50 different platforms to mint NFTs. The post Microsoft and Enjin Roll Out NFT-Based Reward System to Praise Women in Science appeared first on BeInCrypto.
GBP: ECB's Dovish Stance Keeps BoE Expectations in Check

Jack Dorsey and Jay-Z Team Up to Offer Bitcoin Development Trust

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 12.02.2021 09:12
Twitter CEO and Bitcoin bull Jack Dorsey is creating a new Bitcoin development fund alongside rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z. Dorsey initially announced the “₿trust” Bitcoin fund via a tweet on Feb. 12, 2021, which he describes as a “blind irrevocable trust.” The 500 BTC endowment will initially focus on Bitcoin development in Africa and India. Attached to the tweet, Dorsey added a short document where people can apply to join as a board member, of which they will be choosing three. JAY-Z/@S_C_ and I are giving 500 BTC to a new endowment named ₿trust to fund #Bitcoin development, initially focused on teams in Africa & India. It‘ll be set up as a blind irrevocable trust, taking zero direction from us. We need 3 board members to start: https://t.co/L4mRBryMJe— jack (@jack) February 12, 2021At current BTC prices of $47,650, this endowment equates to nearly $24 million, making ₿trust one of, if not the largest, fund of this nature in relative dollar terms. While Jay-Z may not have much experience in the realm of global Bitcoin development, Dorsey remains one of its top proponents. Dorsey is the CEO of the Square digital payments platform. Through Square, Dorsey offers a cryptocurrency grant program that gives funding to select Bitcoin development projects. While the tweet doesn’t explain why the fund will focus on Africa and India specifically, one can assume that the underdeveloped and restrictive financial sectors in parts of those regions are a major factor. Akon, another famous musician from the early-2000s, has also made massive efforts in cryptocurrency development in Africa. The rapper and songwriter is planning an entire smart city that he’s dubbed “Akon City” in his home country of Senegal. The city is slated to be built over the next decade and will have its own microeconomy based on a digital currency called “AKoin.” The post Jack Dorsey and Jay-Z Team Up to Offer Bitcoin Development Trust appeared first on BeInCrypto.
GBP: ECB's Dovish Stance Keeps BoE Expectations in Check

Grayscale Dives Deeper Into DeFi with Yearn, SushiSwap Trust Filings

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 12.02.2021 06:18
Less than a month after institutional crypto fund giant Grayscale first pivoted to decentralized finance (DeFi), it has filed a number of new trust filings, including Yearn Finance and SushiSwap. The world’s largest crypto asset trust for institutional investors, Grayscale, is diving deeper into the DeFi sector, with more trust flings in addition to Aave and Polkadot which it filed last month. The Delaware corporate registry, Grayscale’s statutory trustee for the state, received the filings on Feb. 10, following six filings on Jan. 27. In addition to the two above, uniswap (UNI), cosmos (ATOM), monero (XMR), and cardano (ADA) trust filings were added and on Feb. 1 it registered a theta (THETA) trust. The new filings include DeFi aggregator Yearn Finance, Uniswap clone SushiSwap, Compound Finance, crypto lending stalwart MakerDAO, synthetic asset platform Synthetix, and decentralized storage platform Blockstack. In late 2020, Grayscale also registered trusts for chainlink (LINK), basic attention token (BAT), decentraland (MANA), tezos (XTZ), filecoin (FIL), and livepeer (LPT). Grayscale now has 33 registered trusts in the state, however just nine are currently active. In mid-January 2021, the firm dissolved its XRP trust following Ripple’s ongoing legal battle with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The filings do not mean that these trusts will definitely be launched, they have just been registered as limited liability companies in preparation. AUM Hits $36.8 Billion The firm’s latest assets under management figure is a whopping $36.8 billion, an increase of 47%, since BeInCrypto reported Grayscale’s first DeFi trust filings on Jan. 29. 02/11/21 UPDATE: Net Assets Under Management, Holdings per Share, and Market Price per Share for our Investment Products.Total AUM: $36.8 billion$BTC $BCH $ETH $ETC $ZEN $LTC $XLM $ZEC pic.twitter.com/d7I2sPMwZ4— Grayscale (@Grayscale) February 11, 2021Grayscale’s current trusts are dominated by bitcoin (BTC), which represents about 82% of the total with $30.2 billion. The ethereum (ETH) trust has around 15%, with $5.5 billion, and the rest is distributed between a number of smaller crypto trusts including litecoin (LTC), bitcoin cash (BCH), stellar lumens (XLM), ethereum classic (ETC), and zcash (ZEC). DeFi Tokens Hit ATHs The news appears to have given a boost to these DeFi-related tokens, as YFI has skyrocketed 26% to reach a new all-time high of $47,400, according to CoinGecko. Following somewhat lackluster price action, YFI has finally awoken and is moving upwards again. SUSHI also hit an ATH a couple of hours ago of $17.30, while COMP is close to its own trading just below $500, at the time of writing. MKR is trading flat on the day just over $2,500, while SNX has also made an all-time high of $27. DeFiPulse is reporting the total TVL across the DeFi sector at a record $40 billion, but it is likely to be higher since some listings are omitted. The post Grayscale Dives Deeper Into DeFi with Yearn, SushiSwap Trust Filings appeared first on BeInCrypto.
GBP: ECB's Dovish Stance Keeps BoE Expectations in Check

1inch Exchange and DeFi Pulse Listing Dispute Divides Community

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 12.02.2021 03:50
DeFi Pulse has become the go-to stats provider for the industry, so being left off the list could be detrimental for a project. The 1inch exchange is finding this out the hard way. Just like CoinMarketCap (CMC) in 2017/18, DeFi Pulse has become the standard for metrics and protocol performance for the fledgling financial sector. CMC was bought out by Binance and its integrity became questionable, often being accused of inflating exchange volumes. Now, DeFi Pulse is refusing to list 1inch exchange — but there is more to it than meets the eye. 1inch, which launched an airdrop in December 2020, has requested a listing on DeFiPulse several times. Its latest request on Feb. 9 has also been denied. Hey @defipulse! This is our official second request to list 1inch liquidity protocol on your service! #DeFi is about freedom and you shouldn’t ignore our project with more than $2B TVL just because your founder (Scott) is building a competitor project to our aggregator.— 1inch.exchange (@1inchExchange) February 9, 2021Feuding DeFi Founders The spat goes back to 2019 when 1inch founder, Sergei Kunz, alleged that DeFi Pulse stole its code to build a competing project. DeFi Pulse founder Scott Lewis denied the allegations but the feud escalated epitomizing the state of crypto tribalism that detracts from what the industry is really trying to achieve. There were denial-of-service attacks and even threats of violence between the two founders. Currently, DeFi Pulse refuses to deal with Kunz but said it would cooperate with the 1inch community. It seems that DeFi Prime has also joined forces with Lewis in refusing to list 1inch; Hey @defiprime! Maybe it was not a good idea to remove us from your service? And yes our referrer program works very well: https://t.co/j9gcxuckhQ right!? Everyone who promote 1inch, earn rewards in 1INCH tokens: https://t.co/kYI5Tdg1g8Current reward balance is $114k! pic.twitter.com/DlUz089AJR— 1inch.exchange (@1inchExchange) February 11, 2021DeFiPrime responded; “Everyone already knows about 1inch, and all trading volume in the world lives on 1inch’s 300 servers. There is no point to promote market leaders.” Industry analyst Chris Blec stated that the industry “needs to rid itself of toxic cancel-culture bulls**t.” There is a bizarre editorial campaign underway to try to cancel @1inchExchange & some others from DeFi.The people who control sites like @defipulse and @defiprime are not listing 1inch & other projects they dislike.DeFi needs to rid itself of toxic cancel-culture bullshit.— Chris Blec (@ChrisBlec) February 9, 2021In light of the development a number of leading crypto publications have boycotted DeFi Pulse in favor of competing providers such as DeFi Llama and DappRadar which has also pledged its support for 1inch and DeFi transparency; .@1inchExchange is now listed on our #DeFi rankings page, coming in at #9 with $2.13B total value locked (#TVL) and $1.06B adjusted total value locked (#aTVL).Visit @DappRadar for more information: https://t.co/FebMX9TqH1 pic.twitter.com/e6OxMeXlfu— DappRadar (@DappRadar) February 10, 2021If DeFi Pulse is selective over its listings, then the TVL figure it reports ($40 billion at the time of press) for the entire industry can also be construed as misleading. Also missing from its DeFi listings is the Binance Smart Chain DEX PancakeSwap and NEO’s DeFi platform Flamingo Finance. 1inch TVL Update Naturally, TVL reported across platforms will differ depending on their listings. DeFi Llama reports a total of $57 billion for the industry with 85 protocols listed (compared to DeFi Pulse’s 67). DappRadar meanwhile reports an industry TVL of $39 billion with just 22 listings. Both of these platforms, however, are reporting similar 1inch TVL figures at $2.2 billion. Its native 1INCH token is also doing pretty well, up 8% since the weekly open, trading at $5.32 at the time of press. This is just slightly off its Feb. 6 ATH of $5.83 according to CoinGecko. The post 1inch Exchange and DeFi Pulse Listing Dispute Divides Community appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Asia Morning Bites: Trade Data from Australia, Taiwan Inflation, and US Fed Minutes Highlighted

BREAKING: Bitcoin Tags $40,000 But Takes a Sharp Tumble

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 07.01.2021 19:45
Bitcoin continues to break record highs, this time temporarily crossing the psychologically important $40,000 mark. Following a week that saw bitcoin fly past $34,000, almost touch $36,000 within hours, then drop 6%, the leading cryptocurrency is now near $40,000. Bitcoin on a Roll in January Bitcoin dropped from an all-time high of $35,879 on Jan. 6. It shed roughly 6%, bottoming out at $33,710, before starting the next record-setting run over $40,000. Trading volume surged over the Jan. 2-3 weekend. Volume had typically run at $40-50 billion per 24 hours as the new year holiday began. However, volume remained high since the market price crossed back up above $32,000 after the Jan. 2 drop. Too Dominant Elevated Bitcoin dominance (BTCD) levels were featured in technical analyses at the beginning of the year. Over the week of Dec. 27 – Jan. 4, bitcoin remained high and inched above the 71.5% level, which was a technical resistance level. At 73.63% on Jan. 3, the rise finally broke and BTC landed below 71.5% market dominance. The prediction at the time was that if Bitcoin bests the level again, the next resistance level would be at 84% of the crypto market. The year-end rally stalled with the beginning of the new week, and BTC fell as low as $28,130. Technical indicators at the time did not point to a bearish reversal. This was borne out by the crypto’s price touching $40,000 again on Jan. 7. Institutional Factors One reason behind the bull run that has taken bitcoin above $40,000 is the influx of institutional and enterprise investors. Their entrance was a major factor in H2 2020, but the story didn’t end there.  Analyst Joseph Young noted the presence of institutional investors in a tweet: Institutions ARE here.– CME Bitcoin futures volume hit an all-time high today at $2.7 billion.– LMAX Digital (institutional platform) hit ATH volume at $2.6 billion.It's just what the data show. pic.twitter.com/QudZVTwD2C— Joseph Young (@iamjosephyoung) January 5, 2021Enterprise investors are also entering the market. Their motives are slightly different from the institutional investors in that they are using the investments for different ends. MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor claims that the company is buying Bitcoin for its corporate treasury.On the other hand, MassMutual, an insurance company, is investing $100 million in Bitcoin to find refuge from global uncertainty. The post BREAKING: Bitcoin Tags $40,000 But Takes a Sharp Tumble appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Asia Morning Bites: Trade Data from Australia, Taiwan Inflation, and US Fed Minutes Highlighted

Will Robinhooders Push Bitcoin Even Higher? Mike Novogratz Thinks So

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 07.01.2021 18:44
Young people’s interest in speculative assets could funnel stimulus checks into crypto. But how high can bitcoin go? A “Bubblicious” Market Speaking on CNBC’s Squawk Box, crypto hedge-funder Mike Novogratz said that the markets would continue to climb. Young Americans especially are taking their stimulus checks and flipping them into stocks and cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. Still, the billionaire explains that one day we’ll wake up, and markets will be reversing. And when they do, they will “flip hard.” But, says Novogratz, “I don’t know when that is.” For now, stocks and crypto are both climbing. "When it comes to the young people's hands they are going right to their @RobinhoodApp accounts," says @Novogratz on stimulus driving market gains. "One of the most unique things last time was seeing how many people bought #bitcoin with the exact amount of stimulus. Boom. Boom." pic.twitter.com/DuazhcEeUC— Squawk Box (@SquawkCNBC) January 7, 2021In the same vein, Bill Gross, the legend fund manager known as the “Bond King” of Wall Street, said the “bubblicious” stock market had young people and Robinhood to thank. And an app from Sherwood Forest is to blame.  Robbed From the Rich? The Robinhood app allows users to trade stocks and some cryptocurrencies fee-free (though it could be argued that the fee is baked into the price). Since the pandemic started, when many people found themselves stuck at home and unemployed, the number of Robinhood accounts has exploded. The app added three million new users in the first four months of 2020 alone.  Armed with stimulus checks and smartphones just a pocket away, young investors have been driving up prices, says Bill Gross. This, coupled with the basically zero-interest loans of corporations, have created incredible momentum on Wall Street. Momentous Bitcoin Momentum But some investors, like Novogratz, believe that this momentum, as well as the new $600 (and possibly soon-to-be $2000) stimulus checks for US citizens, will find their way into bitcoin. For one thing, bitcoin’s massive rise has attracted media attention. Younger users are more open to cryptocurrency, too. For another, apps like Robinhood and Paypal, which millions of users already use on a daily basis, now offer cryptocurrency purchases. Bitcoin (blue) and Ethereum (Red) Interest via Google TrendsWith the crypto market cap passing a record $1 trillion this week, the momentum truly is astounding. Bitcoin is now hovering near the 10th spot as a worldwide market cap asset. Recent research has shown that retail interest is still nowhere near its top. What’s more, Google Trends interest in Bitcoin is still half of what it was at the peak of the 2017 hype. Meanwhile, Ethereum is seeing more interest than ever and is now worth over $100 billion. Regardless, ETH has only 1/5th the interest of Bitcoin.  $ETH 1200$ – the show's just getting started.— CryptoBoss (@CryptoBoss1984) January 6, 2021And on top of that, institutional interest is growing. Crypto prices could explode even more once top companies buy bitcoin. Y'all going to lose your minds when a Fortune 100 companies puts Bitcoin on their balance sheet— Pomp (@APompliano) January 6, 2021Now with Americans waking up to $600 checks, Novogratz proposes that prices could go even higher. Crypto Twitter likes to joke that ‘we are just getting started.’ But as bitcoin’s price approaches $40,000, it might not be a joke at all. The post Will Robinhooders Push Bitcoin Even Higher? Mike Novogratz Thinks So appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Asia Morning Bites: Trade Data from Australia, Taiwan Inflation, and US Fed Minutes Highlighted

BAL Breaks Out and Reclaims Numerous Resistance Levels

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 07.01.2021 17:10
The Balancer (BAL) price has been increasing since breaking out from a descending resistance line on Dec. 29. BAL has reclaimed numerous resistance areas and looks like it will rally towards at least $26. Breakout and Reclaim of Resistance BAL had been following a descending resistance line since Sept. 13. It made two unsuccessful breakout attempts before finally moving above the line on Dec. 28. On Jan. 6, it also moved above the $18 area, which previously acted as resistance. BAL is currently in the process of validating it as support. If it continues rallying, the next resistance area would be at $26.80, the 0.618 Fib retracement level of the entire downward move. The following resistance area is at the all-time high price of $38.18. Technical indicators on the daily time-frame are bullish, supporting the possibility that the upward momentum will continue. Chart By TradingViewCryptocurrency trader @Mesawine1 outlined a BAL chart, which shows the same breakout from a descending resistance line. Since the tweet, BAL has already reclaimed the first resistance area at $18 and is now moving towards the next one at $26.80. A breakout above this level would likely take BAL towards a new all-time high. Source: TwitterShort-Term Movement The shorter-term six-hour chart supports the possibility of upwards continuation. BAL has broken out from a short-term descending resistance line and has followed that up with a reclaim of the $15 and the $17.50 area. As long as it’s trading above the latter, it should continue moving upwards. Despite some bearish divergence on lower time-frames, technical indicators are still bullish, similar to those on the daily time-frame. Chart By TradingViewWave Count The most likely wave count suggests that BAL is currently in an extended wave 3 (shown in white below), which has a possible target of $26.75. The target is found by giving waves 1:3 a 1:1.61 ratio, common in such impulses. Furthermore, it coincides with the previously outlined resistance area. The sub-wave count is given in orange. The loss of the $15 minor support area would invalidate this particular wave count. BAL Chart By TradingViewConclusion To conclude, BAL should continue rallying until it reaches the next closest resistance area at $26.70. A breakout above this level could take it towards a new all-time high price. For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post BAL Breaks Out and Reclaims Numerous Resistance Levels appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Asia Morning Bites: Trade Data from Australia, Taiwan Inflation, and US Fed Minutes Highlighted

Coinbase and PayPal Invest in Crypto Tax Reporting Tool TaxBit

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 07.01.2021 16:03
Cryptocurrency taxation software startup TaxBit has announced investments from Coinbase Ventures, PayPal Ventures, and Winklevoss Capital. The firm provides a platform for automated tax reporting for both cryptocurrency users and companies. Thanks to their legal status as property in the US, every time an individual spends or trades a cryptocurrency, they’re potentially triggering a taxable event. Adding to potential confusion are crypto-specific, income-generating concepts such as staking, mining, and airdrops. TaxBit Receives Major Venture Backing As a dynamic and ever-changing industry, it can be difficult for cryptocurrency users to know exactly what their tax obligations are. Coupled with the somewhat shadowy nature of various aspects of the industry, this has previously led to widespread underreporting of cryptocurrency activity to tax authorities. Hoping to alleviate the headache of paying crypto tax is TaxBit. The startup, founded in Salt Lake City, Utah, provides automated taxation software to regular cryptocurrency users and companies alike. Existing clients include BlockFi and Gemini. According to a press release published Thursday, TaxBit has attracted venture funding from Coinbase Ventures and PayPal Ventures. The firm also received additional investment from previous backers, Winklevoss Capital. The totals invested are unknown at present. The CEO and founder of TaxBit, Austin Woodward, commented on the recent funding: “This investment will help us achieve our aim of being the most innovative and trustworthy provider of cryptocurrency tax technology.” Effective Digital Currency Taxation Automation Likely to be Popular With 24/7, hugely volatile markets, some traders make numerous buys and sells every day in the crypto markets. Each time a trader buys or sells one cryptocurrency for another, they may be triggering a taxable event. As cryptocurrency trader Scott Melker alluded earlier this month, accurately reporting such activity over the course of a year is a serious undertaking: My accountant hates me today.— The Wolf Of All Streets (@scottmelker) January 5, 2021However, it’s not just high volume traders that need to worry about accurate tax reporting. As BeInCrypto reported last August, the IRS wants to know about any cryptocurrency activity during a given reporting period. Confusing matters further is that various cryptocurrencies and their protocols allow for the generation of passive income via staking and other incentive structures. Then there’s the issue of cryptocurrency hard forks, which again, can yield taxable income for a holder of a given digital asset. Regulation is often slow to move, and, of course, it lags a long way behind the ever-evolving crypto industry. This makes reporting tax even trickier for the digital currency user who wants to stay compliant. With investments in TaxBit, big names like Coinbase, Gemini, and PayPal clearly see the importance of helping users stay compliant with existing regulations. While the former are well-used to dealing with crypto payments, PayPal only launched crypto support in October. However, tax obligations for PayPal users wanting to spend cryptocurrency from their accounts might limit the appeal of the service. Therefore, integrating automated tax reporting could prove valuable to those PayPal users dabbling in the emerging asset class. The post Coinbase and PayPal Invest in Crypto Tax Reporting Tool TaxBit appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Asia Morning Bites: Trade Data from Australia, Taiwan Inflation, and US Fed Minutes Highlighted

South Korean Gaming Conglomerate to Purchase Bithumb for $460M

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 07.01.2021 14:58
Nexon, one of the largest gaming companies in South Korea and the world, has announced that it will be acquiring the Bithumb cryptocurrency exchange for approximately 500 billion won, approximately $460 million. South Korean agency Maekyung broke the news, stating that Nexon and Bithumb have officially signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to kickstart the process The deal will result in Nexon acquiring a ~65% stake in the Bithumb exchange. Bithumb is currently the largest cryptocurrency exchange in South Korea, so the acquisition may be a natural fit for both companies. Not Nexon’s First Foray Into Cryptocurrency If the deal goes through, this will be Nexon’s third acquisition of a major cryptocurrency exchange. The gaming giant is quickly becoming one of the most dominant players in the crypto exchange space. Nexon also owns other popular exchanges like Bitstamp and Korbit. Bithumb has reportedly been looking to offload ownership to a buyer for some time. Another firm almost acquired it in 2018, though, it may finally have found an ideal buyer in Nexon. The Deal Is Not Guaranteed Although an MOU has already been signed, it doesn’t guarantee that the deal will reach completion. There are still uncertainties surrounding the management practices at Bithumb. South Korea’s Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency investigated the exchange and its chairman Lee Jung Hoon in September. Authorities accused the firm of selling its native cryptocurrency, BXA, without listing the coin. Bithumb allegedly sold 30 billion won in tokens, almost $30 million, causing heavy investor losses after not listing the coin. Institutional Money Pouring In The investment reveals the organization’s confidence in the longevity of the cryptocurrency trading market. Several large international organizations have been investing or integrating crypto trading into their platforms. One such example is PayPal, which recently launched an internal trading platform that allows users to trade major cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ether. PayPal’s exchange just set a new milestone with $100 million in daily trading volume. This figure is particularly high for a firm that has basically just launched trading capabilities. With all-time high bitcoin prices and ether on the cusp of its own record, capital is likely to continue pouring in. The post South Korean Gaming Conglomerate to Purchase Bithumb for $460M appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Asia Morning Bites: Trade Data from Australia, Taiwan Inflation, and US Fed Minutes Highlighted

What’s Next for BNB After Another All-Time High?

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 07.01.2021 13:54
The Binance Coin (BNB) price reached a new all-time high on Dec. 29 and has been moving upwards since. BNB should continue moving upwards towards the targets of $50 and potentially near $70. BNB Reaches All-Time High On Jun. 22, BNB reached an all-time high of $39.51. It began a significant downward movement afterward, which lead to a low of $6.38 on Mar. 13. However, it has been moving upwards since. On Dec. 29, it reached a new all-time high and has been increasing, reaching a high of $44.90 to date. The previous resistance area at $39 is now likely to act as support. Chart By TradingViewFuture Movement Cryptocurrency trader @Tradingtank outlined a BNB chart, stating that it’s likely to increase. They gave targets of $46 and $52. Source: TwitterTechnical indicators on the daily time-frame are bullish, supporting the continuation of an upward move, even though the rally is overextended. However, since BNB is trading at an all-time high and there are no resistance levels above the current price, we need to use a fib extension to determine future targets. Chart By TradingViewFurthermore, the two-hour chart shows that BNB is also following an ascending support line, which coincides with the minor $42 support area. As long as BNB is trading above this level, the trend is bullish. Similar to the daily time-frame, indicators on the two-hour time-frame are also bullish. BNB Chart By TradingViewWave Count The wave count suggests that BNB is probably in wave 3 of a long-term bullish impulse (shown in white below), which began in March. A possible target for the top of the entire move is at $69.58, which would give waves 1:3 a 1:1.61 ratio, common in bullish impulses. BNB Chart By TradingViewThe short-term chart shows that BNB is likely nearing the top of sub-wave 3 (shown in orange), while the minor sub-wave count is given in black. The most likely targets for the top of sub-wave 3 are at $46 and $50-$51, found using a combination of fib extensions (orange) and projections (black). BNB Chart By TradingViewConclusion To conclude, as long as BNB is trading above its short-term ascending support line, it should continue rallying towards $50 and possibly $70. For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post What’s Next for BNB After Another All-Time High? appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Decarbonizing Hard-to-Abate Sectors: Key Challenges and Pathways Forward

Uniswap Liquidity Surges to $3 Billion Amid Gas Price Crisis

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 07.01.2021 06:52
Liquidity on the world’s most popular decentralized exchange, Uniswap, has skyrocketed despite a massive surge in gas prices. It seems that cryptocurrency traders can’t get enough of token swapping as decentralized exchange popularity continues to grow and eat the market share of their centralized cousins. Uniswap suffered a major liquidity decline when yield farming incentives ended in mid-November 2020. A governance vote was carried out and the decision was not to extend them, resulting in an exodus from the DEX. Fast forward six weeks and that liquidity has returned despite the lack of yield farming pools on the platform. Uniswap Liquidity Tops $3 Billion Uniswap founder Hayden Adams noted the achievement stating that liquidity had surpassed $3 billion and was approaching its all-time high. According to the exchange’s own analytics, that number was $3.36 billion on Nov. 13.   Liquidity on @UniswapProtocol just passed $3.1b, approaching an all time high This time without any UNI liquidity mining incentives Just hundreds of thousands of real users generating millions of dollars in daily trading fees ($14.1M this week) pic.twitter.com/w8OpIK9gXV— Hayden Adams (@haydenzadams) January 6, 2021The liquidity spike began on Jan. 2 and a billion dollars was added over the next five days according to those charts. The top pair on the DEX is wBTC/ETH generating $43 million in volume and $129,000 in trading fees over the past 24 hours. Without any token farming incentives, liquidity providers only get a share of the 0.3% trading fee for their respective pools. 24-hour trading volumes are currently around $750 million according to Uniswap. Better yields can be found elsewhere, but Uniswap still appears to be the preferred choice for token swaps. DeFi Pulse reports slightly different figures with a total value locked of $2.65 billion, but the trend and chart pattern is similar. It also reports that the TVL figure has increased by 7.6% over the past 24 hours but the amount of ETH locked continues to decline. The surge in DeFi activity, and Ethereum’s pumping prices, has added to the gas crisis as average transaction fees hit a record high of $16 on Jan. 4 according to BitInfoCharts. Fee costs have retreated a bit since and the analytics website is currently reporting the average fee at around $9, which is still very painful for anyone not shifting large quantities. UNI Price Update Uniswap’s native UNI token has been flying recently, along with the rest of the cryptocurrency market. UNI prices are flat on the day at $6.24 according to Coingecko but have made an impressive 50% over the past seven days. Prices for the DEX governance token are now not far off its all-time high of just over $7 which came in mid-September when its token farming incentives were launched. The post Uniswap Liquidity Surges to $3 Billion Amid Gas Price Crisis appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Boosting Stimulus: A Look at Recent Developments and Market Impact

DASH Breaks Out but Struggles to Sustain Rally

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 06.01.2021 20:12
The DASH price has broken out from a long-term resistance area but has failed to initiate a significant upward move. While DASH has bounced at a crucial support area, it has yet to confirm a bullish trend. Long-Term Breakout DASH had been following a descending resistance line since Jun. 2018, when it was trading at $225. After four unsuccessful breakout attempts, DASH finally moved above this line at the beginning of Nov. 2020 and is currently in the process of validating it as support. Technical indicators are relatively bullish, even though the MACD appears to have lost some strength. If DASH continues moving upwards, the next resistance areas would be at $135 and $175, respectively. Chart By TradingViewCryptocurrency trader @Mesawine1 outlined a DASH chart stating that DASH has broken out from a descending resistance line and validated it as support afterward. The line coincides with that which we have outlined, and DASH has indeed broken out. Source: TwitterStill Waiting on a Bullish Trend The daily chart provides the first support area at $85.5, the 0.618 Fib retracement level of the entire upward move. DASH has bounced three times on this support area, most recently having done so on Jan. 4. While the bounce here possibly suggests that the correction is done, technical indicators aren’t yet bullish. On the contrary, the Stochastic Oscillator has made a bearish cross, and the RSI is below 50. Chart By TradingViewUntil DASH breaks out from the short-term descending resistance line and/or reclaims the $98 area, we cannot consider the trend bullish. Nevertheless, unlike the daily time-frame, indicators on the lower two-hour time-frame are bullish. DASH Chart By TradingViewWave Count The wave count suggests that DASH is in a long-term wave 3, which began with the March low (shown in white in the image below). Currently, DASH seems to have completed sub-waves 1-2 (shown in orange) and is possibly in sub-wave 3. A likely target for the top of the move is between $173 and $177, found using the Fib extension of wave 1 (white) and external fib retracement of wave 2 (black). Furthermore, this target coincides with the long-term resistance area outlined in the first section, making it a likely target for the top. A decline below the wave 2 low at $62.4 would invalidate this particular wave count. DASH Chart By TradingViewConclusion To conclude, DASH should eventually begin an upward move towards $173 – $177. However, there are no signs that the upward move has begun, thus making it possible that DASH will continue consolidating before eventually beginning to move upwards. For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post DASH Breaks Out but Struggles to Sustain Rally appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Boosting Stimulus: A Look at Recent Developments and Market Impact

ShapeShift Removes KYC Requirements with Decentralized Protocol Integration

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 06.01.2021 18:48
Long-running cryptocurrency exchange ShapeShift has announced the integration of decentralized protocols in a fundamental shift to its business model. The change allows the exchange to do away with the controversial Know-Your-Customer (KYC) checks added in 2018. Under the previous model, ShapeShift itself was the counterparty to all trades. Advances in exchange protocols, like those underlying popular decentralized exchanges (DEXs), allow trading directly between platform users. With ShapeShift integrating such protocols, it no longer needs to collect user data. ShapeShift Reverts to Non-KYC Model Earlier Wednesday, ShapeShift founder and CEO Erik Voorhees announced the radical shift. As detailed in a Medium post, the cryptocurrency exchange will no longer require users to submit personal information to trade on the platform. Tomorrow is here https://t.co/4y1ril0ftc— Erik Voorhees (@ErikVoorhees) January 6, 2021The post explains the founding of ShapeShift in the wake of the 2014 Mt. Gox hack. Its goal was to reduce counterparty risk for those trading digital assets. ShapeShift’s model allowed users to trade directly from their own wallets. By contrast, centralized exchanges require traders to first deposit to the platform. This places their assets at the mercy of the trading venue’s own security. In the years since ShapeShift’s founding, numerous security breaches at trading venues has put users’ assets and personal information at risk. Until 2018, ShapeShift neither custodied user assets or collected their data. In Sept. 2018, ShapeShift announced the inclusion of KYC checks to its services. The company attracted immense criticism from cryptocurrency observers at the time: Oh I agree, but then you still have the option to shut your business down (in jurisdictions where necessary) or become a KYC honeypot. I have no issue with exchanges doing KYC/AML. Shapeshift's business model was that it was free of that.— WhalePanda (@WhalePanda) September 5, 2018In Wednesday’s post, Voorhees explained that this former business model had placed it under the purview of the Bank Secrecy Act, forcing it to collect user data. ShapeShift CEO: KYC Dissolves the Privacy of All Individuals Voorhees’ post suggests that the CEO is strongly opposed to the collection of user data. Describing such practices as “dangerous,” he cites the 20 million people that suffer from identity theft each year in the United States. Indeed, leaked user data recently grabbed cryptocurrency headlines. As BeInCrypto previously reported, a 2020 security breach at the hardware wallet manufacturer Ledger resulted in victims receiving death threats over the Christmas holidays. The post further explains that KYC data collection is “ineffective”  and that he finds it “plainly unethical.” He writes: “KYC dissolves the privacy not of certain specific individuals accused of wrongdoing, but the privacy of all individuals, none of whom have been accused of anything.” Shift Towards Decentralization Already Begun As part of the announcement, Voorhees revealed that trading support for Ethereum and ERC-20 tokens under the new model was already live. He added that the company would extend the service to bitcoin and “several other leading chains” during Q1 2021. Trading of non-ETH assets will continue for a period under the old model. However, users wishing to do so will still need to prove their identities. Voorhees added that the company hadn’t given up in the fight against “bad guys” and “sinister activity.” ShapeShift will reportedly continue to collaborate with those in the industry monitoring for illicit activity but says KYC checks are an ineffective way to do so. The post ShapeShift Removes KYC Requirements with Decentralized Protocol Integration appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Boosting Stimulus: A Look at Recent Developments and Market Impact

Stellar’s XLM up Almost 150% in Last 7 Days

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 06.01.2021 17:09
Has alt season arrived? It just might have. Stellar Lumens (XLM) has appreciated dramatically over the past week. Before altcoin season commences, bitcoin and ether may need to see drastic price increases. Bitcoin has already broken the $35,000 handle for the first time, and ether is up over 50% in the last week. Although the number one and two cryptocurrencies have been stealing the show, Stellar’s XLM token has been the biggest gainer of the week, by far. In the last seven days, XLM is up over 140%, increasing its price by over 90% in the last 24 hours alone. According to CoinGecko, an online cryptocurrency market capitalization aggregator, this makes XLM the top-performing cryptocurrency out of the 100 largest tokens. What Caused the Recent Price Spike? It’s hard to pinpoint what caused XLM to take off, as there have been few announcements that would point to such a massive increase in growth. The US Treasury of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the largest US-based banking regulator, recently issued guidance on banks using stablecoins for settlement. Some users think Stellar is particularly positioned well for adoption. Since the announcement doesn’t point to any specific blockchain protocol, those users are mostly just speculating, though. XLM massively appreciating this week against the dollar | Source: TradingViewWhat is Stellar and XLM? The Stellar network is a decentralized, open-source protocol that allows cross border transactions between any pair of currencies. Its native cryptocurrency, XLM, is a governance token that serves as a reward mechanism for users who help secure the network. As the ninth-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization with a current valuation of almost $9 billion (according to CoinGecko), the Stellar network is one of the biggest players in the blockchain space. Managed by the Stellar Foundation, a non-profit oversight board, Stellar is looking to position itself as an easy and accessible bridge between cryptocurrency and fiat currencies. Since the inception of the Stellar network in 2015, the network has processed over 450 million unique transactions made by over four million individuals. With Stellar’s open-source and decentralized technology, both small-sized developers and gigantic conglomerates can take advantage of the network to potentially increase transaction efficiency. Stellar is looking to continue its mainstream adoption growth by offering users transactions with any currency on the blockchain. It’s unclear whether Stellar will rise at the astronomical rate it currently is, but it may be a project to keep an eye on. The post Stellar’s XLM up Almost 150% in Last 7 Days appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Boosting Stimulus: A Look at Recent Developments and Market Impact

Cypriot Hospital Tracks Covid-19 Vaccination Records With VeChain

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 06.01.2021 13:53
Tracking records safely and immutably is important when dealing with health records. A hospital in Cyprus has stored its first 100 Covid-19 vaccination records using the VeChain Thor blockchain. With all the growth in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other ‘mainstream’ cryptocurrencies, other useful blockchain applications are being overlooked. One of those may be VeChain, a decentralized supply chain management platform. This particular use-case has become more important following the outbreak of the global pandemic in Wuhan, China. The VeChain Foundation confirmed the news via its Twitter account: “The first 100 COVID-19 vaccination records for medical personnel at The Mediterranean Hospital of Cyprus are now securely stored on the #VeChain public blockchain. With this tech, govs and individuals are assured of the quality and validity of results.” The first 100 COVID-19 vaccination records for medical personnel at The Mediterranean Hospital of Cyprus are now securely stored on the #VeChain public blockchain.With this tech, govs and individuals are assured of the quality and validity of results.https://t.co/yKzLuF06mj— VeChain Foundation (@vechainofficial) January 5, 2021Is Storing Medical Records Using Blockchain Useful? The medical field is likely looking to maintain accurate medical records, especially when the world is under a massive, novel virological threat. If an organization decides to maintain its records on a distributed and decentralized ledger, it can theoretically guarantee the ‘quality and validity’ of the results. Third parties cannot manipulate immutable blockchains. VeChain’s VeThor platforms offer a variety of tracing methods, one of those being temperature tracking. The Covid-19 vaccine needs to stay within a specifically low temperature to maintain its efficacy. According to Moderna, the temperatures are even lower than what a refrigerator can provide. Could decentralized vaccine tracing ensure they remain at the correct temperature before being distributed? That’s the goal, but it has yet to be proven. What is Vechain? VeChain is a decentralized supply chain management platform created to provide increased insight and tracking of product supply chains. VeChain claims that users can track the life of a product across its entire supply chain, guaranteeing its authenticity and making sure all necessary steps were taken to deliver a quality product. In theory, this model could be applied to various products, such as food, medicine, luxury goods, collectibles, and anything else that needs verifiable authenticity. As the medical crisis from the novel coronavirus unfolds, vaccine distribution may play a vital role for the project and other blockchains that depend on immutable data. The post Cypriot Hospital Tracks Covid-19 Vaccination Records With VeChain appeared first on BeInCrypto.
DeFi TVL Reaches $20 Billion While ETH Locked Dwindles

DeFi TVL Reaches $20 Billion While ETH Locked Dwindles

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 06.01.2021 07:50
The total value locked (TVL) figure for the decentralized finance ecosystem has reached a record level just shy of $20 billion. However, more and more Ethereum is being withdrawn from the space. Decentralized finance (DeFi) has hit another milestone in terms of total value locked according to metrics provider DeFi Pulse. On Jan. 6, the figure hit $19.87 billion, an all-time high and an increase of 2,800% since the same time last year. Many have questioned this method of measuring market sentiment and performance since numbers can be duplicated from the same asset being farmed or wrapped for use on different protocols.  However, it’s one of the few DeFi metrics we have and does provide some insight on the overall performance of the fledgling financial ecosystem. DeFi TVL Chart – DeFi PulseDeFi Positive Feedback Loop Writing in the latest Defiant newsletter, researcher Owen Fernau labeled the TVL growth a “positive feedback loop,” noting that it should also serve to push the price of ETH higher as has happened in recent weeks; “TVL’s growth serves as a positive feedback loop: increases in value locked suggest increased utility of Ethereum,” Ethereum currently constitutes around 35% of the TVL which is measured in USD. Its price surge and other metrics suggest ETH is still undervalued. So while TVL is increasing, it doesn’t necessarily mean that more ETH is being locked in DeFi. In fact, the opposite is occurring. The amount of ETH locked in DeFi has fallen by 26% since its peak of 9.5 million ETH in October 2020. Today, that figure stands at just below 7 million ETH. Where is the ETH Going? There could be a number of reasons for this exodus of ETH. speculation on spot markets could be driving Ethereum holders to trade the asset since its volatility has increased along with the price. Arbitraging could also be occurring, but this is likely to be done by the whales since smaller trades and swaps would be eaten up in gas fees at the moment. The amount of the asset locked in the Beacon Chain deposit contract also continues to climb and has now reached 2.27 million ETH, or roughly 2% of the total supply. This is a third of the 6% that is currently locked in DeFi. At today’s prices, the amount of ETH staked and locked for at least another year is valued at $2.45 billion. According to the ETH 2.0 Launchpad, it’s currently yielding just over 10% for investors. The numbers are all bullish for Ethereum which is proving its versatility time and time again despite the exorbitant current cost of using it. The post DeFi TVL Reaches $20 Billion While ETH Locked Dwindles appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Boosting Stimulus: A Look at Recent Developments and Market Impact

Liverpool FC Players Hit the Blockchain With Sorare Fantasy Football

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 05.01.2021 19:58
Sorare, the fantasy football game, concluded a licensing deal with Liverpool FC on Jan. 5. The famed Liverpool club becomes the latest club and the first of 2020 to join the digital world with the fantasy football game Sorare. Liverpool Joins Sorare Sorare is a fantasy football game where users collect cards featuring professional players. Collectors effectively become managers and can build their own squad around them. It's Official: Premier League Champions @LFC joins Sorare With Liverpool joining us, we now have the current Champions from the top 5 European Leagues First Edition card sales are on auction now Official digital #LFC cards, only on https://t.co/n4TzfPgh1G pic.twitter.com/rfVZuM6Ydo— Sorare (@SorareHQ) January 5, 2021On Jan. 5, Sorare announced that it had signed a license agreement with Liverpool FC. Sorare will now be able to create digital cards with the images of Liverpool players in its game. There is no information yet on the price for Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah’s cards.  Sorare broke the news via Twitter: “It’s official: the Premier League champion joins Sorare. With Liverpool’s arrival we now have the current champions of the top five European leagues.” 2020 in Review Sorare sold approximately $6.7 million worth of professional player cards. The site’s trading volume increased from 25,000 euros in December 2019 to approximately $1.7 million in December 2020. Player cards can exchange hands for substantial amounts. Kylian Mbappé’s solo card holds the sales record at $65,700. The card for Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes sold for $62,000 in December. Nonfungible.com estimates that users conducted around 100,000 transactions worth 16,000 ETH in 2020. Just in Time Signing the digital-entity agreement with Sorare came at the right time. The club announced on its website that effective Jan. 5, its retail stores would be closed until further notice. This affects the greater Liverpool area stores. Other locations, namely Chester, Belfast, and Dublin, were already closed due to coronavirus quarantine restrictions. Sorare has been busy in the last few months. Liverpool joins FC Internazionale Milano in December, a month after FC Bayern Munich inked its own deal. Turkish club Fenerbahce S.K was the last of a formidable list of signings in 2020. The post Liverpool FC Players Hit the Blockchain With Sorare Fantasy Football appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Boosting Stimulus: A Look at Recent Developments and Market Impact

NEO Bounces Above Support, Could Make Another Breakout Attempt

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 05.01.2021 14:40
The NEO price has been decreasing since its rejection at the $23 resistance area on Sept. 18. It has found support on lower time-frames and could soon make another breakout attempt. Despite this, the NEO/BTC chart remains in bearish price discovery, giving no bullish reversal signs. Long-Term Resistance NEO has been trading below the $23 resistance area since it initially broke down in Oct 2018. Until now, it has made three unsuccessful breakout attempts, the most recent one being on Sept 18, 2020. If it were to break out above this area, the next resistance levels would be at $82, 130, and $208, respectively. Therefore, the lack of overhead resistance could be the trigger for a very sharp rally. However, technical indicators are neutral, leaning bearish. This casts some doubt on the possibility of a breakout. Chart By TradingViewCryptocurrency trader @LisaNEdwards outlined a chart that has the price going all the way to $45. Due to the lack of resistance above the $23 area, a breakout could very well take the price to $45 or even higher. Source: TwitterDescending Resistance Line The daily chart shows that NEO has been following a descending resistance line since it reached a high of $24.87 on Sept. 17. It has validated the line four times so far. Also, we can see a support level at $13.20, which has been validated twice. Technical indicators are bullish, supporting the possibility that NEO will break out above this resistance line and make another attempt to break out above $23. Chart By TradingViewThis possibility is supported by the two-hour chart, which shows a breakout from a short-term descending resistance line and its validation as support afterward. Furthermore, the long lower wicks are a sign of buying pressure, another indication that it will likely head upwards. NEO Chart By TradingViewNEO/BTC Despite the relative bullishness from the NEO/USD pair, the NEO/BTC chart remains firmly bearish. NEO has been decreasing at an accelerated rate since it first broke down from the 9000 satoshi area at the beginning of Dec. There are no bullish reversal signs whatsoever, and the trend remains bearish until it can successfully reclaim the 9000 satoshi area. NEO Chart By TradingViewConclusion To conclude, NEO should gradually increase and break out above the $23 resistance area, potentially moving towards the next resistance levels. Despite this, the NEO/BTC chart remains bearish without yet providing any bullish reversal signs. For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post NEO Bounces Above Support, Could Make Another Breakout Attempt appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Boosting Stimulus: A Look at Recent Developments and Market Impact

JPMorgan Analysts Call for $146,000 Long-Term Bitcoin Price Target

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 05.01.2021 13:36
JPMorgan and its CEO Jamie Dimon have seemingly appeared skeptical of Bitcoin for years, but that hasn’t stopped the firm from speculating on a frothy upside target. With the increased institutional adoption of Bitcoin due to worldwide economic and social factors, the leading cryptocurrency can no longer be ignored. According to JPMorgan analysts via Bloomberg, gold may continue to lose market share: “Bitcoin may have the potential for substantial further gains over the long term as it competes with gold for investment flows, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co.” As investors begin to see Bitcoin as a better store of value, transaction system, and hedge against inflation compared to gold, large-scale purchases may continue. The analysts speculate that bitcoin still has some serious upside potential: “A crowding out of gold as an ‘alternative’ currency implies big upside for Bitcoin over the long term, […] a convergence in volatilities between Bitcoin and gold is unlikely to happen quickly and is in our mind a multiyear process. This implies that the above-$146,000 theoretical Bitcoin price target should be considered as a long-term target, and thus an unsustainable price target for this year.” Although the analysts do not predict a quick price run-up to near $150,000, they believe a gradual increase of cash outflows from gold and other assets will inevitably find its way to BTC. JPM traders in London were buying as far back as 2013. I know for fact as someone I know built them trading algo that couldn't be detected by bosses as they weren't allowed to trade it. These traders complained that @maxkeiser kept moving price, forcing them to intervene w/ bot https://t.co/1RE0xJ61FB— Stacy Herbert (@stacyherbert) January 5, 2021JPMorgan Not the Only One Calling the Shots To some users, this may seem like a bold prediction. The firm is one of the largest financial institutions globally and not the first big player to think this way.  In a recent interview with YouTuber Casey Adams, Tyler Winklevoss, Bitcoin billionaire and cofounder of the Gemini exchange, predicted a $500,000 bitcoin price for similar reasons. Winklevoss explains that bitcoin is a fundamentally stronger store of value and hedge against inflation than gold. And since gold has a $9 trillion market cap, bitcoin will likely overtake it one day. Winklevoss continues that if bitcoin established itself as a mainstream transfer of value and not just a store of value, it could be worth even more as it competes against the global fiat market. These are bold long-term predictions, but they don’t seem implausible, at least according to JPMorgan. If institutions continue to choose bitcoin over gold, the proof-of-work coin could ultimately creep towards the long-term predictions given.      The post JPMorgan Analysts Call for $146,000 Long-Term Bitcoin Price Target appeared first on BeInCrypto.
New York Climate Week: A Call for Urgent and Collective Climate Action

Bitcoin (BTC) Drops Back but Manages to Hold On Above $30,000

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 05.01.2021 08:09
After reaching an all-time high on Jan. 3, Bitcoin (BTC) fell the day after, creating successive bearish daily candlesticks. Bitcoin is expected to break down from its short-term pattern and decrease towards the support levels outlined below.   Bitcoin Rally Stalls After reaching an all-time high price of $34,789 on Jan. 3, BTC stalled the next day, dropping all the way to a low of $28,130. However, it proceeded to create a long lower wick (shown with the green arrow in the image below) and reach a close of $31,988. While the lower wick is a bullish sign, the candlestick is not. BTC so far has created two bearish candlesticks, a shooting star on Jan. 3 and a hanging man on Jan. 4 — both normally considered bearish reversal signs. Despite the bearish candlesticks, technical indicators do not yet confirm the bearish reversal. While the MACD has generated a lower volume bar on the daily, it has yet to reach a close. Furthermore, the Stochastic oscillator has not yet made a bearish cross nor has the RSI crossed down below 70. If a downward move were to occur, the three closest support levels would be found at $25,230, $22,290 and $19,340 (0.382, 0.5, and 0.618 Fib retracement levels respectively). Besides being Fib levels, the latter two also provide horizontal support. BTC Chart By TradingViewShort-Term BTC Movement The two-hour chart also provides a somewhat bearish outlook. First, we can see that BTC is possibly trading inside a descending triangle, which is considered a bearish reversal pattern. Second, BTC appeared to have broken out from this pattern last night but was rejected by the $32,800 resistance area (red arrow), making the previous breakout only a deviation. Therefore, until BTC is able to successfully break out and reclaim the $32,800 minor resistance area, the trend is considered bearish and a breakdown is expected. A breakdown that travels the entire height of the pattern would take BTC down to $25,240, close to the 0.382 Fib retracement level from the previous section. BTC Chart By TradingViewThis view is supported by the six-hour time-frame, which similarly shows that the previous support area has turned to resistance, rejecting BTC last night and leaving a long upper wick in place. Technical indicators have also turned bearish, supporting the possibility of a breakdown. BTC Chart By TradingViewConclusion Bitcoin is expected to break down from its descending triangle and gradually decrease towards the closest support area at $25,240. For BeInCrypto’s previous Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post Bitcoin (BTC) Drops Back but Manages to Hold On Above $30,000 appeared first on BeInCrypto.
New York Climate Week: A Call for Urgent and Collective Climate Action

On-chain Metrics Suggest Ethereum Could Still be Undervalued

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 05.01.2021 06:43
Ethereum prices revisited the four-figure territory again this morning following a minor pullback that threatened heavier losses. Some on-chain metrics are suggesting it is still undervalued even after its recent rally. After hitting $1,150 on some exchanges on Jan. 4, Ethereum prices retreated sharply following Bitcoin as the CME gap closed resulting in a 10% correction for BTC. ETH prices slid back to $850 within six hours but did not remain there long. At the time of press, Ethereum prices were battling to hold on to the $1,000 level. Industry commentator Alex Saunders tweeted his bullish prospects for Ethereum making new all-time highs. Record high for $ETH was on @coinbase at $1500. Currently trading at $1050 puts us 45% away. But after everything we've witnessed in the past 12 months, would it really surprise you to see a 50% sling shot over this weekend or even a day? I feel it's about to shock us all. pic.twitter.com/InlrjzYsV2— Alex Saunders (@AlexSaundersAU) January 4, 2021Other analysts and observers have suggested that the real monetary fundamentals for Ethereum have yet to kick in. Additionally, one metric is also suggesting that the asset has further to go. Ethereum Still Undervalued According to the latest Glassnode Insights report, Ethereum spent less than one month in the four-figure territory before entering a painful bear market that lasted two and a half years. “However, on-chain signals suggest that we are still in the earlier stages of a bull market, relative to the same price levels in 2018.” The report analyzed the Market Value to Realized Value (MVRV) ratio which is the relationship between market capitalization and realized capitalization. The metric, created by David Puell and Murad Muhmudov, gives an indication of when the traded price is below a ‘fair value.’ Glassnode stated that the MVRV ratio is still extremely low relative to early 2018 when the price was equivalent to current levels. When the ratio was this low previously, in the lead-up to the 2017 bull run, ETH prices were still below $25. “This indicates that in the current market, there is room for significant further growth before ETH becomes overvalued.” New Highs in Sight As we’ve seen countless times before, Ethereum has yet to fully decouple from the movements of Bitcoin, so its next move is likely to follow along. On the downside, there is immediate support in the mid-$800 range and even heavier support around $725 where ETH consolidated for nearly a week. Another leg up could meet resistance at $1,230 where previous weekly candles closed. At current levels, Ethereum is just under 40% away from a new all-time high. The post On-chain Metrics Suggest Ethereum Could Still be Undervalued appeared first on BeInCrypto.
New York Climate Week: A Call for Urgent and Collective Climate Action

Three Arrows Capital Eclipses $1 Billion in Bitcoin Purchases

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 05.01.2021 05:28
Within the last year, some of the biggest hedge funds and venture capital firms in the world have been investing in Bitcoin. Many chose to invest in Bitcoin as a potential hedge against inflation and as a more efficient store and transfer of value. Three Arrows Capital, a Singapore-based hedge fund, is the second company besides MicroStrategy to invest in over $1 billion in BTC. Three Arrows does not directly own the Bitcoin, however, as it’s managed by digital asset management firm Grayscale. Grayscale is a highly regulated and secure firm that offers the ability for investors and institutions to invest in a more secure Bitcoin product. Grayscale offers a variety of different cryptocurrency trusts that are publicly traded, with the largest by far being its Bitcoin Trust ($GBTC). Three Arrows owns 38888888 GBTC, which is equivalent to 36969 bitcoins. Kyle Davies, the co-founder of Three Arrows Capital, made a tweet confirming the news: 38888888 $GBTC, 36969 $BTC https://t.co/4ZDyLs8Fxf— Kyle Davies (@kyled116) January 4, 2021Three Arrows Capital is the latest firm to invest a large sum of money into Bitcoin, but it certainly isn’t the only one. Billions of dollars of institutional investment has already entered the Bitcoin market, both with and indpenedent of Grayscale, and it doesn’t look like this investment trend will be slowing down anytime soon. As Bitcoin faced its first 10 percent retracement since breaking the $20,000 price point, Samson Mow, CSO at Blockstream tweeted, “I know you guys aren’t really panicking about #Bitcoin, but in case you are… One River ($1.6B fund) bought $600M & will buy $400M more, Guggenheim ($5.3B fund) will buy $530M, SkyBridge ($9.2B fund) bought $182M, Ruffer ($27B fund) bought $744M, MassMutual ($675B AUM) bought $100M.” I know you guys aren't really panicking about #Bitcoin, but in case you are…One River ($1.6B fund) bought $600M & will buy $400M moreGuggenheim ($5.3B fund) will buy $530MSkyBridge ($9.2B fund) bought $182MRuffer ($27B fund) bought $744MMassMutual ($675B AUM) bought $100M— Samson Mow (@Excellion) January 4, 2021With some of the largest and most influential companies and investment firms in the world getting on the Bitcoin train, it can be expected that this is just the beginning of the capital inflow that will be entering the cryptocurrency market. Influential CEO’s-turned-Bitcoin evangelists like Davies and MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor will likely continue to be vocal about this technology and its potential. The post Three Arrows Capital Eclipses $1 Billion in Bitcoin Purchases appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Asia Morning Bites: Trade Data from Australia, Taiwan Inflation, and US Fed Minutes Highlighted

LTC Moves Above $150, Reaching Highest Price Since 2018

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 04.01.2021 19:54
On Jan. 4, the Litecoin (LTC) price reached a high of $173, a high not seen since 2018. While it could continue increasing and reach the $185 resistance area, it appears the current rally is top-heavy, and a corrective movement will soon follow. LTC’s Long-Term Movement The weekly chart shows that LTC has finally moved above the June 2019 highs at $145 and has actually reached a weekly close above this level. If it continues increasing, the next resistance areas would be at $186 and $225, the 0.5 and 0.618 Fib retracement levels, respectively. Technical indicators are bullish, supporting the possibility of a breakout and a gradual move towards the resistance areas outlined. Chart By TradingViewCryptocurrency trader @Pentosh1 outlined a chart, stating that once the final resistance area at $140 is broken, a significant upward move is likely to follow. Since the tweet, LTC has moved above this level and is thus likely to continue increasing. Source: TwitterContinuation of the Move The daily chart shows signs of weakness, in the form of a bearish divergence in the RSI. Nevertheless, both the MACD and the Stochastic Oscillator are bullish. Due to the very rapid rate of increase, there aren’t any significant support areas. The closest is at $120. Chart By TradingViewThe two-hour chart shows signs of continuation in the form of hidden bullish divergence in the RSI. Combined with the long lower wick, this suggests that LTC is likely to move upwards. LTC Chart By TradingViewWave Count The wave count suggests that LTC has begun a bullish impulse (shown in white below) with its March lows, currently trading near the top of the third wave, which has become extended. The sub-wave count is shown in orange. Therefore, while LTC could potentially increase in the short-term, reaching a high near the $185 resistance area outlined in the first section, a correction would likely follow. LTC Chart By TradingViewLTC/BTC The weekly chart shows that both the RSI and the MACD have formed bullish divergence since the beginning of April despite the ongoing decline. LTC has been moving upwards since it reached a low of ₿0.0036 on Nov. 12. If LTC/BTC resumes its upward movement, the closest resistance area would be at ₿0.008. LTC Chart By TradingViewConclusion To conclude, while LTC could potentially resume its movement towards the $185 area, it is overdue for a correction. LTC/BTC meanwhile looks bullish in the long-term. For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post LTC Moves Above $150, Reaching Highest Price Since 2018 appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Asia Morning Bites: Trade Data from Australia, Taiwan Inflation, and US Fed Minutes Highlighted

Chinese Lottery Winners to Receive Free Digital Yuan

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 04.01.2021 18:51
China is looking to continue establishing its financial capabilities globally by extending the number of lottery winners using its central bank digital currency, the digital yuan. The central bank digital currency, or CBDC, is a permissioned, state-run cryptocurrency that allows China to track the spending habits of its yuan users. It can also adjust inflation rates and even block citizens from accessing their accounts. In a world where many countries face extreme financial instability, the digital yuan acts as a somewhat easily accessible intermediary currency. Although the introduction of the digital yuan gives China a lot more control over its users, it is nevertheless being widely adopted. In the latest initiative to increase adoption and normalize the CBDC, Chinese authorities have arranged a lottery for citizens from certain towns, giving them the chance to earn free digital currency. According to an official announcement from the Shenzhen Government, a city in China with a population of 12 million people, citizens are eligible to sign up for a municipal lottery reward. The lottery was available on a government-run app for three days with registration officially closing today. 100,000 Yuan Winners The city will choose 100,000 lottery winners, each of which will receive 200 digital yuan, worth a little over $30. The Chinese Government will likely continue promoting these lotteries in cities across the country. This one, in particular, cost slightly over $3 million. One perhaps disturbing aspect of Chinese digital fiat is the ability of network administrators to control certain outcomes. Lucky lottery winners can spend digital yuan winnings at 10,000 preregistered merchants, but they’ll only have ten days to do so before the winnings are no longer active. One of the Government’s goals for the CBDC appears to be to make it widely accessible and compete globally against other dominant currencies, like the US dollar. Since all users will need to interact with the digital yuan via a compatible wallet, it may appeal to citizens of other countries looking for a better store of value. Whether or not this plays out, though, is still largely unproven. The digital yuan is already widely adopted in China, with over four million individual transactions at the end of November 2020. The value transacted equates to more than two billion yuan, approximately $300 million. The post Chinese Lottery Winners to Receive Free Digital Yuan appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Asia Morning Bites: Trade Data from Australia, Taiwan Inflation, and US Fed Minutes Highlighted

LTC Briefly Overtakes XRP to Become 4th Most Valuable Crypto

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 04.01.2021 17:51
Between January 3 and 4, 2021, LTC overtook XRP to become the world’s fourth-largest digital currency by market capitalization. While the gap between the two valuations was significant, only last month, a lawsuit by the US SEC caused XRP’s price to drop and stagnate. The rest of the crypto market, meanwhile, has found itself in the midst of a bull run. LITECOIN JUST FLIPPED XRPpic.twitter.com/yjBq15JtpV— HODLGeorge (@BitfuryGeorge) January 3, 2021Ripple Losing Momentum and Investor Confidence Even setting aside recent developments with the SEC, public interest in Ripple’s XRP has been waning due to the lack of new banking partnerships and heightened competition. The company has long projected that its token would soon become the largest cross-border payments system. While Ripple has partnered with an impressive 300 financial institutions across 40 nations, it pales compared to SWIFT’s 11,000 partners spread over 200 regions. Ripple’s leadership argues that the current SWIFT banking system is slow and inefficient, and rightfully so. International bank transfers can take upwards of several hours and even days to clear successfully. The complete lack of intermediaries in a blockchain-based system intends to alleviate much of these delays while affording lower fees. However, with the SEC stepping in, it remains to be seen if banks will agree to further partnerships with Ripple. Ripple also faces stiff competition at the hands of Facebook’s Libra and JPMorgan Chase’s JPM Coin. Expected to launch this year, these coins aim to facilitate inexpensive P2P transactions between customers and businesses. LTC on an Upward Trajectory Litecoin (LTC), meanwhile, could not have had a more successful run to its current valuation of ~$10 billion. While it battles XRP for the fourth spot, Litecoin’s price has jumped 16% over the past week. Meanwhile, XRP’s plummeted by over 21% during the same period. The Litecoin community awaits the launch of a new protocol that aims to improve privacy and scalability. Dubbed Mimblewimble, the protocol is a modified version of the current Proof-of-Work consensus mechanism. It effectively changes the structure and storage requirements of blockchain transactions, making it easier to verify new transactions and store old ones. LTC’s growth spurt can also be attributed to institutional investors. Grayscale, a company with over $20 billion in crypto assets, purchased at least $145 million worth of Litecoin. Most of this capital was accumulated over a relatively short period in late 2020. In contrast, Grayscale’s XRP Trust has an AUM (Assets Under Management) of just $8.4 million. 12/31/20 UPDATE: Net Assets Under Management, Holdings per Share, and Market Price per Share for our Investment Products.Total AUM: $20.2 billion$BTC $BCH $ETH $ETC $ZEN $LTC $XLM $XRP $ZEC pic.twitter.com/YKb6T8htGx— Grayscale (@Grayscale) December 31, 2020XRP May Lose Top 5 Digital Token Spot With Litecoin doubling its market capitalization, XRP will likely drop out of the top five digital tokens (by market cap) very soon. The next cryptocurrency in line, Polkadot, is also charged with positive price momentum, gaining 60% over the past week alone. If these trends continue, will investor confidence in XRP decline further? The post LTC Briefly Overtakes XRP to Become 4th Most Valuable Crypto appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Asia Morning Bites: Trade Data from Australia, Taiwan Inflation, and US Fed Minutes Highlighted

DeFi Total Value Locked Nears $20 Billion as ETH Price Increases

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 04.01.2021 13:30
Institutional investors may still have their eyes on Bitcoin, but Ethereum has been attracting a great deal of attention so far in 2021. Ethereum has followed the meteoric price growth that Bitcoin has recently seen, smashing through $1,000 per ETH and eclipsing a $100 billion market cap. With these increases in price, we are also seeing a coinciding increase in total value locked in decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. As evident from a tweet by Quantum Economics founder, Mati Greenspan, “When Ethereum pumps it takes all the markets built on top of it along for the ride.” When #Ethereum pumps it takes all the markets built on top of it along for the ride. pic.twitter.com/P7PP0iVUn9— Mati Greenspan (tweets ≠ financial advice) (@MatiGreenspan) January 4, 2021Is 2021 the ‘Year of DeFi?’ 2020 was a huge year for decentralized applications. At the beginning of January, there was less than $1 billion in total locked value (TVL) across all DeFi apps. Now, just one year later, that number is closing in on $20 billion. With the majority of the DeFi system built on Etheruem, the rise in Ethereum prices after increased usage of applications on its platform was not a coincidence. The more value that is locked into DeFi applications, the more underlying value that the Ethereum ecosystem captures. This also works for the increase in total locked value in DeFi increasing alongside the rise in Ethereum prices. Greenspan explains why this happens, “The TVL figure is measured in US Dollars while much of the value is locked in Ethereum. So when the price per ETH rises, the TVL goes up with it.” Finance in the Digital Age DeFi, short for decentralized finance, is the implementation of traditional financial systems on decentralized platforms. DeFi applications allow users to conduct financial transactions without oversight from a third party, such as a bank or exchange. These applications allow for transactions such as the issuance or receiving of loans, exchanging of assets, providing or receiving insurance, and more. Usually, these applications are peer-to-peer, meaning two users are directly interacting with each other. Without the oversight and charges from third parties, users get to benefit by recapturing the value that was previously profit for financial firms This has led to massive innovations in the financial industry and is allowing for financial interactions to take place that were not possible before. The post DeFi Total Value Locked Nears $20 Billion as ETH Price Increases appeared first on BeInCrypto.
European Central Bank's Potential Minimum Reserve Increase Sparks Concerns

Polkastarter to Launch Polkacover DeFi Insurance and IDO

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 04.01.2021 08:19
The decentralized exchange built upon the Polkadot network is now launching its own DeFi insurance products and an Initial DEX Offering. Polkastarter has been touted as an Ethereum and Uniswap-rivalling automated market maker and dApp platform. It was launched on Dec. 15 with the purpose of enabling projects to raise capital on the Polkadot network. There have been a few minor partnerships but the new DEX has yet to gain much traction in an already crowded market place. It has now announced the Jan. 21 launch date of a new Polkacover DeFi insurance product and associated token. The day is coming !! We are ecstatic to announce that the PolkaCover #IDO will take place on the rockstar @Polkastarter DEX on Jan21st Join the whitelist on https://t.co/wim3K8FFG9Save the Date!#Polkadot #Bitcoin #polkastarter #DeFi pic.twitter.com/3U6oPfqCD4— Polkacover (@Polkacover) January 3, 2021More DeFi Insurance 2020 has been rife for hacks, scams, smart contract exploits, rug pulls, and flash loan attacks in the DeFi sector so insurance products are in big demand. Polkacover touts itself as the ‘first DeFi insurance marketplace for the global crypto ecosystem’, however, there are already a couple of insurance providers doing something similar. Nexus Mutual offers DeFi insurance and something called ‘shield farming’ to incentivize liquidity providers. The Cover Protocol is another decentralized insurance marketplace, but it was recently exploited in late December. Polkacover aims to collaborate with multi-national insurance providers that offer global insurance products such as crypto-related protection, health, life, education, and family insurance plans. It also aims to provide a fully comprehensive cover that is not currently available with current crypto-insurance offerings. The whitepaper explains; “Presently, the crypto insurance options are mainly either to niche in their coverage or too complex to understand for mass market adoption. This has resulted in a substandard experience for customer and policy management who are faced with a low penetration rate of adopting customers.” It does mention the Binance Security Asset Fund for Users (SAFU) which allocates 10% of trading fees to be used to cover extreme cases. The Polkacover platform will have four development phases; crypto insurance products, a global marketplace, peer-to-peer cover, and decentralized administration and arbitration. It will also offer cover from losses involving company negligence such as the recent Ledger data breach which resulted in a wave of phishing and physical attacks on its unfortunate customers. A New Insurance DAO Token In addition to the POLS DEX token, there will be a new CVR token for the governance of the Insurance DAO and liquidity purposes to create the P2P DeFi insurance platform. Users will be able to provide liquidity to insurance pools for different products, with the investments being allocated in the Polkadot DOT token and redeemable for CVR tokens. There is currently a private sale in process and according to the whitepaper, a total supply has been set at 135 million CVR. It intends a final circulation of 70 million and will buy back and burn tokens quarterly. The post Polkastarter to Launch Polkacover DeFi Insurance and IDO appeared first on BeInCrypto.
US Industry Shows Strength as Inflation Expectations Decline

Bitcoin Volume Explodes as BTC Targets $35,000

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 03.01.2021 10:58
2021 is starting off great for Bitcoin as it continues to break new all time high prices. Now, as the price of Bitcoin closes in on $35,000, we are reaching massive volume levels that have barely been seen before. In the past 24 hours, Bitcoin is up about 15 percent. However, it is the increase in volume that is shocking. According to CoinMarketCap, the largest online cryptocurrency market capitalization aggregator, Bitcoin volume has increased by almost 104% in the last 24 hours. This is momentous, as this increase in volume on top of major price growth is an extremely bullish sign for the world’s largest cryptocurrency. What is causing this massive volume spike? One of the most interesting factors to this sharp increase is that there is no immediately identifiable catalyst. Since the beginning of the new year, Bitcoin is already up over 20 percent. However, Bitcoin was already seeing daily/weekly all time high prices before 2021 even started. One possible reason for this price increase is FOMO, or fear of missing out. Since the rise of Bitcoin is becoming mainstream news globally, investors and speculators may feel that if they do not purchase Bitcoin now, they will continue to miss out on massive price gains. One point to consider is that this overnight volume increase took place from a Saturday to a Sunday. Thus, it is possible that institutional investors and their employees were not working. That leaves this volume increase up to retail investors. Institutional interest support This Bitcoin bull run is fundamentally different than the previous all time price run in 2017 in almost every way. In 2017, retail investors drove the market. When the price peaked around $20,000, it quickly dropped and was not able to maintain support. This bull run is different because institutional and enterprise investors are driving it, overall. Take for example MicroStategy, one of the biggest publicly traded business intelligence firms in the world. Michael Saylor, the CEO of MicroStrategy, was extremely skeptical of Bitcoin, but in August 2020, became one of Bitcoin’s biggest proponents. Due to economic uncertainty, dollar devaluation, inflation, hedging, and other factors, Saylor made the executive decision to use MicroStrategy’s reserve treasury to purchase Bitcoin. These purchase grew incrementally, with MicroStrategy raising $650 million via a debt offering to purchase Bitcoin. There are a lot of other companies either integrating or investing in Bitcoin, sometimes to the tune of tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars. PayPal, Square, and Mass Mutual have also started getting involved with Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. This could set the pace for the rest of the financial industry. All this may speak to why Bitcoin has seen all time high prices and regular price increases. However, it doesn’t exactly explain the overnight growth in volume. There may not be an obvious factor that caused this explosion in volume. The factors leading up to it are undeniable, though. The post Bitcoin Volume Explodes as BTC Targets $35,000 appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Bittrex Announces Jan. 15 Delistings

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 02.01.2021 10:30
Cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex announced impending delistings for four tokens as of Jan. 15. As privacy tokens, the four fit into a category that is increasingly under threat from governments worldwide. Happy New Year? On Jan. 1, the Bittrex cryptocurrency exchange tweeted that effective Jan. 15, Monero, Dash, ZCash, and Grin, would be removed. These four are privacy tokens, which anonymize transactions. We will be delisting the following coins from the Bittrex Global exchange: Monero, Dash, Zcash, & Grin. Markets for trading will be removed on January 15, 2021 at 23:00 UTC.Please visit the following link for more details: https://t.co/QAfCop9fYQ— Bittrex Global (@BittrexGlobal) January 1, 2021Privacy tokens, as the name suggests, are relatively difficult for investigators to track. Their use is rising, and some tokens have been in regulators’ sights for a while. Back in November, Bittrex announced the delisting of 23 tokens for a variety of performance or regulatory issues. The exchange also singled out Grin at that time as a possible target for future delisting. Readers should note that Bittrex also pointed to MEME and VRC for possible delisting. Bounty program  In Sep. 2020,  the US government offered  up to $1.25 million to the team(s) that could crack Monero’s or the Lightning Network’s encryption. The announcement carried a sense of urgency, considering that tight time frames were included in the rules. In particular, Monero seems to be a thorn in the regulators’ side. The request for proposals specified that a Lightning Network on Bitcoin monitoring tool already existed. However, tools for Lightning on Litecoin and on Ethereum were needed.  Europe is gravely concerned In October, EUROPOL, the EU’s united policing body, released the Internet Organized Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA) for 2020. Privacy coins ranked among the top threats. Mixing services and anonymization are evolving, the report noted. Moreover, crypto-enabled crime adapts quickly to the changing landscape. Communications encryption  Governments focused their attention on more than privacy coins in 2020. They turned to encrypted communication as well, and saw a threat. The European Union emphasized this in early November. The EU Council of Ministers issued a proposal regarding a resolution forbidding end-to-end encryption of communications. This proposal affected What’s App and Signal in particular.  While the proposal was non-binding, it shows where the EU is heading in terms of privacy. The authors of the proposed resolution point to the need to balance individual privacy concerns with fighting crime. A decentralized workaround? While regulation tightens around current-generation privacy coins and end-to-end encryption, new privacy-oriented technologies will appear. Dust, which is supported by Mark Cuban, and Status, are both decentralized communication apps. Blockchain and decentralization changed money and information flows; these apps intend to do the same for communications. The post Bittrex Announces Jan. 15 Delistings appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Will Central Banks Hold Bitcoin in 2021?

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 01.01.2021 20:31
Famed cryptocurrency trader and Aike Capital founder Alex Krüger tweeted on Jan. 1 that the bitcoin – gold relationship needs closer examination. Central banks (CB) will hold bitcoin sooner or later, says Krüger. The reason, he says, has to do with gold and how central banks treat it. In a series of tweets, Krüger shows how demand for gold has changed in 2020.  I've changed my mind.Major central banks will eventually hold #Bitcoin as a reserve asset.So let's explore how central banks' gold demand looks like — Alex Krüger (@krugermacro) January 1, 2021Habits Are Hard To Break Krüger starts by showing that central bank demand for gold remained steady for much of the past ten years. However, it dropped tremendously in 2020. He also draws attention to the point that adding liquidity drives gold prices higher. So, who bought gold? Without going into detail as to why CBs cut their gold intake so much, Krüger does point out that institutional investors dominated demand in 2020. Jewelry, on the other hand, fell off, as the demand is price sensitive. The Big ‘If’ At this point, Krüger makes an assumption. He tweets: Assume now in five years central bank's demand for bitcoin stands at 5% of their gold demand. That would generate $1.2 billion in additional bitcoin buying pressure.— Alex Krüger (@krugermacro) January 1, 2021If CBs buy into bitcoin with just 5% of their gold demand, that would increase demand for the leading crypto by over $1 billion. Krüger sees the entry of the first CB as an event with some consequences. Prices would jump on the news, and speculators would pile in. However, CB for gold demand would only rise. As Jorge Schneider put it: Small becomes a tidalwave…— Jorge schneider (@Jorgeschneide64) January 1, 2021Can Krüger Make a Case for It? Can Krüger make a case for central banks holding bitcoin? Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) are on the horizon. But are they a bitcoin killer?  Regarding CBDCs, the answer is that they are probably not bitcoin killers. In fact, there is the possibility that a digital stablecoin could come of it. But the purpose of most CBDCs currently under testing is to create a viable means of transactions. As BeInCrypto reported, China is testing its digital yuan for retail purchases already. A pilot launch for P2P transfers started in December. So far, the European Central Bank and others are declaring the same: digital currencies extend our ability to make transactions. Bitcoin, however, appears to be a store of value more than anything else. The 2020 bull run was not about buying pizza or coffee with bitcoin. In part, it was connected to the long-predicted increased interest by institutional and enterprise investors such as GrayScale and MicroStrategy. Is Krüger right about CBs investing in bitcoin in five years? Or perhaps even this year? Institutional investors took time to become pro-crypto. Only time will tell whether this store of value becomes interesting for the mother of all buyers as well. The post Will Central Banks Hold Bitcoin in 2021? appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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US Crypto Proposal Meets Resistance from Congress

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 01.01.2021 18:47
A bipartisan group of nine US congresspeople sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin calling for longer time frames for proposed crypto wallet legislation. The letter, posted by the pro-crypto NGO coincenter.org, shows that the letter was signed by representatives of both parties and Senator Tom Cotton. This is an unusual display of unity from America’s lawmakers at this time. A Matter of Legitimacy The bipartisan group requested that the Treasury Department extend the comments period on proposed regulation touching on crypto. The current period is 15 days. With the holidays, there are only eight working days. The group asks for an extension to at least 60 days, which is closer to Treasury’s norm. The group also claims that the rushed process calls into question the legitimacy of the proposed ruling.  The lawmakers also called on the Treasury Department to postpone implementation of the rule by a half year. Crypto market operators need this time to implement the technology and processes that will keep them compliant.  A Matter of Crypto The proposal under question comes from Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). It was released on Dec 18. FinCEN will require Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) to increase know-your-customer (KYC) information regarding privately owned wallets. If there are no changes, VASPs would need to send the information to the Treasury Department if the transaction exceeds $10,000. However, the VASP needs to collect and hold the data if the amount transferred exceeds $3,000. What’s more, under other new legislation that FinCEN proposed, VASPs need to report cross-border transfers of over $250. This is down from the current $3000. Whose Bright Idea? FinCEN is not acting on its own accord by presenting these proposals. Rather, the main idea behind them is to bring the US in line with the rest of the world. Globally, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) tries to align anti-money laundering legislation across governments. In 2019, FATF pointed to FinCEN that American legislation was falling behind other countries. Washington needed to remedy this by mid-2020. Convergence With Fiat, Divergence With Practice The Treasury Department intends to bring the crypto environment in line with existing banking regulations. The limits set in the proposal are similar to those called the travel rule, for cross-border transactions, in fiat banking. However, the rushed manner in which it is doing so makes some observers wonder about the bureaucracy’s motivations. Some, like Forbes contributor Yaya Fanusie, point to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s personal distaste for bitcoin.  The post US Crypto Proposal Meets Resistance from Congress appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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MicroStrategy Stock Up Over 200% Since Initial Bitcoin Purchase

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 01.01.2021 08:15
One of the most aggressive investments in Bitcoin during the past year has come from MicroStrategy, a NASDAQ-traded business intelligence firm. Led by CEO and Bitcoin mega bull, Michael Saylor, MicroStrategy has purchased over $1.3 billion in BTC. This $1.3 billion does not include the hundreds of millions of dollars in BTC that Saylor owns personally. Since MicroStrategy’s initial purchase of Bitcoin, not only has it made $1 billion in unrealized profits, but its stock increased by over 200 percent over the course of five months. MicroStrategy Enters the Bitcoin Arena Saylor was initially skeptical of Bitcoin, but once he changed his mind, things moved fast. A big catalyst to Saylor’s switch was the ongoing inflation the U.S. dollar is facing. In 2020 alone, the U.S. has printed about 35 percent of all dollars ever created, a staggering and scary amount for anyone who stores the majority of their wealth in USD. With continued economic uncertainty due to a global pandemic and increased inflation, Saylor decided that it would be safer to convert a portion of MicroStrategy’s treasury reserves into Bitcoin. Since this first transaction, Saylor has become one of the most prominent proponents of Bitcoin in the industry. He even said that he thinks Bitcoin will one day overtake gold’s market cap, Tweeting out; “It’s dangerous to think that gold and Bitcoin are similar & complementary investments. When the Bitcoin Dragon emerges from its lair, the first thing it will eat is the Kingdom of Gold.” So far, MicroStrategy has purchased over $1 billion in Bitcoin at different prices through different fundraising methods. In its most recent purchase, MicroStrategy raised $650 million in a debt offering and used the proceeds to purchase more BTC for its treasury reserves. Looking At the Charts When looking at the year-to-date MicroStrategy (MSTR) price chart, we can see a relatively flat line throughout the whole year as the price hovered around the $150 range. Starting in November, when Saylor first started purchasing Bitcoin for MicroStrategy, the stock price began to rise. By the end of November, the stock price jumped up to over $340 before eventually falling back down to $280. The price drop didn’t last long though, as MSTR quickly recovered and is now just dollars away from breaking the $400 mark. The post MicroStrategy Stock Up Over 200% Since Initial Bitcoin Purchase appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Bitcoin Usurps Berkshire Hathaway to Enter Top-10 Assets by Market Cap

Bitcoin Usurps Berkshire Hathaway to Enter Top-10 Assets by Market Cap

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 31.12.2020 09:55
Amid a massive rally to the $29,000 price point, the Bitcoin market cap has overtaken that of Berkshire Hathaway. In the early hours of Dec. 31, Bitcoin managed to set another new all-time high of $29,300 before pulling back slightly. Its market cap grew to $539.8 billion, enough to squeak past Berkshire Hathaway which currently sits at $538.8 billion. This development caused Bitcoin to enter into the top-ten assets by market cap, an incredible feat considering that it was ranked #15 at the beginning of December. Bitcoin’s next target is the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM), which holds the number nine spot with a market cap of $564.7 billion. Apple currently sits at the top of the list with a market cap of $2.27 trillion. It has a comfortable $600 billion lead over the number two seed Microsoft. Bitcoin Hit List Berkshire Hathaway is currently led by infamous investor Warren Buffett, who, over the years, has openly professed his distaste for Bitcoin and the digital asset class. In an interview during the 2018 cryptocurrency bear market, Buffett famously referred to Bitcoin as “rat poison squared.” Buffett concluded by adding, “I can say with almost certainty that [cryptocurrencies] will come to a bad ending,” While Buffett remains steadfast on his views of BTC, many of his contemporaries and peers have begun to change their tune. The Driving Forces 2020 has seen a massive surge in institutional and retail investors buying up all the BTC that they can get their hands on. With fiat currencies faltering, many large financial institutions are opting to convert their cash reserves into Bitcoin. This is a strategy that is paying off huge for MicroStrategy, which purchased more than $1 billion in Bitcoin throughout 2020. This week it was even announced by Pro-Bowl champion Russell Okung that he would be receiving more than 50% of his $13 million football salary in Bitcoin. The post Bitcoin Usurps Berkshire Hathaway to Enter Top-10 Assets by Market Cap appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Bitcoin (BTC) Knocking on the Door to $30,000

Bitcoin (BTC) Knocking on the Door to $30,000

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 31.12.2020 07:47
Bitcoin (BTC) hit new all-time highs on both Dec. 30 and 31. The price briefly hit $29,300 on some exchanges this morning before a small pullback.   The rally has begun to show short-term signs of weakness and BTC is expected to soon reach a top.   New Bitcoin All-Time High Bitcoin continued its ascent on Dec. 30, creating a bullish candlestick and reaching a high of $28,996. Yesterday’s close was above that of the shooting star on Dec. 17, a bullish sign that indicates a dissipation of the previous resistance Technical indicators are bullish and have yet to show any weakness, suggesting that the upward move is expected to continue. BTC Chart By TradingViewFuture Movement The six-hour chart shows that while BTC has been increasing at an accelerated rate over the past week, there is a very significant bearish divergence developing in both the RSI and the MACD. This is a sign that the rally may be overextended and a correction is expected. BTC Chart By TradingViewThe two-hour chart shows more of the same bearish divergence. Furthermore, BTC is following a very steep ascending support line, which is unsustainable in the long-run. If a breakdown from the support line occurs, it’s possible that BTC will undergo a very sharp drop. BTC Chart By TradingViewBTC Wave Count The wave count suggests that BTC is in sub-wave 5 (shown in orange in the image below) of wave 5 (blue). A possible target for the top of the move is found at $29,800 — the 3.61 Fib extension of sub-wave 5 (orange fib). Once the correction begins, we would expect the entire move which began in September to be corrected. In that case, the two most important support areas would be the 0.382 and 0.5 Fib retracement levels, respectively found at $21,838 and $19,538. BTC Chart By TradingViewA closer look at the minor sub-wave count (black) shows that BTC is likely in minor sub-wave 5. This is also accentuated by the fourth minor sub-wave triangle, after which BTC moved upwards at a more accelerated rate. BTC Chart By TradingViewConclusion Bitcoin is expected to reach a high near $29,800 before undergoing a significant correction. For BeInCrypto’s previous Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post Bitcoin (BTC) Knocking on the Door to $30,000 appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Institutional Investors Finally Arrive in 2020

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 30.12.2020 13:04
Institutional and enterprise investors began to pile into the crypto world en masse in 2020. Institutional investors deal in large amounts of crypto, usually bitcoin (BTC). Until now, large investors, or whales, had been private or, at least, rather quiet, about their operations. Not any longer. Institutional and enterprise investors have to declare their movements, so hiding isn’t an option. This lets us take a look at the biggest movers in bitcoin in 2020. MicroStrategy In August, business intelligence company MicroStrategy burst onto the crypto scene. In August and September, the company started buying bitcoin in bulk. MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor replaced $50 million of its cash reserves with bitcoin.  Saylor’s “why” was as stark as his buying spree. He claimed that the COVID-19 relief spending in the United States had devalued the currency, and that bitcoin was a safe bet against that.  Also, on Oct. 28, Saylor disclosed that he personally owned 17,730 BTC. Paul Tudor Jones Legendary hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones told CNBC in May that he had between 1 per cent to 2 per cent of his $5.8 billion in bitcoin. While his purchases have not been public, his bullishness on BTC is a matter of public record. On Oct. 22, he stated on CNBC that he appreciated bitcoin more, at that time, than he did back in March when news of his investment into crypto broke. Grayscale At the head of the class, or, since these are whales, head of the pod, is Grayscale. The largest bitcoin purchaser has upended the market by buying more BTC in November than was created. Grayscale Bitcoin Fund’s holding in bitcoin is so big that even investors buying into it make news. In November, Guggenheim Funds filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it was going to engage in a $500 million investment into Grayscale Bitcoin Fund.  Square BeInCrypto wrote in October, that “if you’re wondering what was behind the change in sentiment in the bitcoin price, you might want to thank Jack Dorsey.” That’s because Jack Dorsey is the CEO of Square, which has an unusual place in the bitcoin universe.  Square was created as a small-business payments solution. Along the way, the company began to buy bitcoin for its users to purchase. The concept’s taken off, and in Q2 2020, the company did $875 million in bitcoin revenue.  The reason why Dorsey gets mentioned, though, is that on Oct. 8, Square bought 4,709 BTC, or $50 million worth of bitcoin to keep on its balance sheet. This amount equals 1 per cent of Square’s total assets. Compared to Grayscale, it’s not huge, but this is another enterprise moving assets into bitcoin, a la MicroStrategy. Maybe the cryptocurrency community should be thanking Michael Saylor, but sentiment changed with Square’s purchase. PayPal PayPal started showing up on crypto radar in 2019 when it was supposed to partner with Facebook on the Libra coin. Later, news that CEO Dan Schulman owns bitcoin gained attention. In 2020, PayPal announced that it would not be working on Libra. Two other pieces of news put the company on our list for 2020, though.  First, on June 22, PayPal announced that it would allow the direct purchase of cryptocurrency on its platform. Users had previously been able to use PayPal for transactions on Coinbase, but directly opening the company’s then 325 million clients to crypto was seen by analysts as a turning point in the industry. Second, and closer to the point, was related to a report in November. Pantera Capital claimed that the rise in bitcoin’s price was due to Square and PayPal combined buying up more bitcoin than was being mined. According to Pantera Capital, PayPal was buying an equivalent to 70 per cent of the new bitcoin being mined. At the same time, Square’s cash app is driving purchases of 40 per cent of new BTC. These two alone are buying 110 per cent of new bitcoin. What Pantera misses, though, is that at the same time, Grayscale alone is also buying more bitcoin than is being created. Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. Amid the headlines created by MicroStrategy and friends, other companies entered the market in a big way. For example, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance stocked up on $100 million of bitcoin for its general investment account. Mass Mutual is massive, with nearly $235 billion in its general investment account. This makes the bitcoin investment relatively small for the company, but big enough for the industry to take note.  Ruffer On Dec. 15, Ruffer LLP of Great Britain announced that it was adding bitcoin exposure to its portfolio. Ruffer’s parent company has 20.3 billion British pounds in AUM. However, the allocation is $15 million. Jefferies This one doesn’t have a dollar value attached to it. However, the news is golden. On Dec. 19, Christopher Wood, global head of equity strategy at Jefferies, announced that the firm was buying bitcoin. The $51 billion investment firm is drawing down its gold position from 50 per cent of its long-only global portfolio to 45 per cent and investing that amount into bitcoin. Expect more The mantra, “past performance is not indicative of future results,” exists for a reason. With that caveat in mind, exploring the fallout from the influx of enterprise and institutional investors seems warranted. JP Morgan’s analysts see trends for 2021 that further the trends seen in this article. First, they see more institutional investors. Corporates ostensibly replacing dollars in their treasuries — or covering a crypto play thereby —  should continue as well. A tendency among the investment firms is notable. Gold is being replaced with bitcoin. This fits the change in view of bitcoin as a means of storing value, instead of a currency, as was the case during the 2017 bull run. That alone makes bitcoin a more interesting investment asset for institutional investors than before.Another aspect of the change from gold to bitcoin is that bitcoin is now seen as part of a risk-on inflation hedge. Gold is losing some of its luster, at least for this part of the investment cycle, and the bitcoin community stands to benefit from it. The post Institutional Investors Finally Arrive in 2020 appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Miami Mayor ‘Open’ to Bitcoin Investment with Treasury Reserves

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 30.12.2020 11:32
As Bitcoin continues on its historic bull run breaking all-time price records, Francis Suarez, the Mayor of Miami has said he is ‘open to exploring’ putting a percentage of Miami’s treasury reserves into Bitcoin. This topic of conversation was initiated on Twitter by Anthony Pompliano. The co-founder of the blockchain-based investment firm Morgan Creek Digital Assets Tweeted out, “Retweet this if you would move to Miami if Mayor Francis Suarez puts 1% of the city’s treasury reserves into Bitcoin.” Pompliano received a prompt response from Mayor Suarez, who Tweeted back: Definitely open to exploring it.— Mayor Francis Suarez (@FrancisSuarez) December 29, 2020A consideration of this magnitude by a mayor of a major U.S. city is a massive step in the mainstream adoption of Bitcoin. A Would-Be Bitcoin Milestone If Mayor Suarez actually decides to invest a portion of Miami’s treasury reserve into Bitcoin, it would be the first U.S. city to own an allocation in its reserves. According to the Miami Herald, as of April of 2020, Miami had reserves amounting to approximately $95 million, meaning that just a one percent allocation would represent nearly $1 million. This would be a very small investment for the city’s treasury but would represent a massive milestone in terms of how Bitcoin is viewed. If the treasury from one of the biggest cities in America invests in Bitcoin, it could start to set a standard. A Trend that’s Already Begun So far in 2020, we have seen many different companies, both public and private, invest part of their treasury reserves into Bitcoin. The largest and most outspoken investment has come from MicroStrategy, a business intelligence firm that has invested over $1.3 billion of its treasury reserves in Bitcoin. Michael Saylor, the CEO of MicroStrategy, also personally owns $100s of millions worth of Bitcoin as becoming a vocal proponent for the cryptocurrency as a hedge against inflation. With the continued economic global uncertainty on top of the massive levels of inflation fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar is facing, many companies and organizations have started to turn to Bitcoin as a potential remedy. It’s hard to say if this friendly Twitter proposal will ever come to fruition, but the idea even being discussed by government officials is an extremely positive sign for Bitcoin. The post Miami Mayor ‘Open’ to Bitcoin Investment with Treasury Reserves appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Japanese Firm Scores BitLicense in New York for Yen Stablecoin

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 30.12.2020 07:35
Japanese internet firm GMO has obtained approval from regulators in New York to issue a yen-pegged stablecoin. This makes GMO the 27th BitLicense recipient to be allowed to engage in virtual currency operations in the state. First Yen-Pegged Stablecoin in New York According to a press release by the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), GMO has been granted a charter to issue Japanese yen (JPY)-pegged stablecoins in the state. Based on the approval, the Tokyo-based firm will also be able to issue and redeem U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoins as well. Like many Asian conglomerates, GMO has a history of significant involvement in the crypto and blockchain space. Indeed, the approval now adds another chapter to the company’s virtual currency foray with previous enterprises in the mining and trading arena. Commenting on the license approval, Ken Nakamura, CEO of GMO-Z Trust company remarked: We’re breaking ground with our move to issue the first regulated JPY-pegged stablecoin, which many see as a safe haven asset. But we are also pioneers and innovators in this space who envision building new applications of blockchain technology that transforms our relationship with traditional financial services. Apart from numerous crypto and blockchain pursuits, GMO also owns GMO Click, one of the largest forex trading platforms in the world. New Regulations in 2021 GMO’s BitLicense approval to issue stablecoins in New York is coming amid increasing scrutiny by regulators in major economies. Earlier in December, a proposed legislative piece by some members of the U.S. Congress to regulate stablecoins like banks caused rumblings within the cryptocurrency community. In Europe, many mainstream finance stakeholders including European Central Bank (ECB) President Lagarde continue to rail against private stablecoins. As previously reported by BeInCrypto, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) called for embedded supervision for stablecoins back in November. Indeed, the regulatory pushback has seen Facebook water down its ambitious Diem digital currency platform to appease regulators opposed to the project. The post Japanese Firm Scores BitLicense in New York for Yen Stablecoin appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Russell Okung to Receive Half of His $13 Million Contract in Bitcoin

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 29.12.2020 19:50
Pro-Bowl champion Russell Okung has been a strong proponent of Bitcoin for years, and now he’ll receive half of his new contract in BTC. Okung announced a new partnership with Strike, a network that utilizes the Bitcoin Lightning Network. The network will enable him to covert $7.5 million of his $13 million football contract into BTC. Okung has been pushing for his current and former team to pay him in Bitcoin over the last couple of years. And with the latest rally to all-time highs, it seems he finally got his wish. Okung’s team, the Carolina Panthers, can send a portion of his salary directly over the Lightning Network instead of via his traditional account, allowing for near-instant conversion to bitcoin. This appears to mark a major milestone for bitcoin and the cryptocurrency asset class as this is the first time a professional player is getting paid directly for their labor. Okung has been rather vocal about this idea. The decision is well represented by one of his previous quotes, “money is more than currency, it’s power.” What is Strike? Strike is a bank compliant API for the Bitcoin Lightning Network. The Lightning Network has been in development for several years. It allows for quicker and cheaper bitcoin transactions through the use of a ‘second layer’ blockchain protocol. By using the Lightning Network to conduct transactions, smaller transfers (microtransactions) can be handled more efficiently. Strike’s compliance and regulatory standards are a major part of this deal, as they enable Okung and the Carolina Panthers to legally conduct the payment according to league standards. Jack Mallers, the founder and CEO of Strike, is extremely bullish on the news, explaining to a cryptocurrency twitter influencer: “Got more athletes on the waitlist we’ll onboard now. NFL, NBA, MLB. Even some Billboard artists. Stacking sats is going mainstream, we’re about to blow this sh*t up, just getting started”. Got more athletes on the waitlist we’ll onboard now. NFL, NBA, MLB. Even some Billboard artists.Stacking sats is going mainstream, we’re about to blow this shit up, just getting started.— Jack Mallers (@JackMallers) December 29, 2020Mallers’ words suggest this is just the beginning. There will likely be similar announcements made for professional athletes and celebrities in the coming months. If additional mainstream icons start accepting Bitcoin for their labor, it would likely see a significant portion of their following rush to the cryptocurrency asset class. The post Russell Okung to Receive Half of His $13 Million Contract in Bitcoin appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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BAL’s Breakout Could Pave the Way for Higher Prices

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 29.12.2020 18:49
The Balancer (BAL) price has broken out from both a long and short-term descending resistance line. The breakout from the former is significant, and when coupled with the bullish readings from technical indicators, it suggests that an upward move is likely. Long-Term Levels The daily chart shows that BAL had been following a descending resistance line since Sept. 13. After two unsuccessful breakout attempts, it finally moved above this line on Dec 28. Currently, it’s in the process of falling, validating the line as support. Technical indicators are bullish, supporting the possibility that BAL will move upwards towards the next closest resistance area at $18. BAL Chart By TradingViewCryptocurrency trader @mesawine1 stated that the BAL price could rally all the way to $18 if it breaks out above this long-term descending resistance line. The line and area coincide with those we have outlined. Technical indicators are bullish, supporting the possibility of a breakout. Source: TwitterBreakout From Resistance The shorter-term six-hour chart shows that BAL has been moving upwards since Nov. 4, when it reached a low of $8.37. The rally continued until it reached a high of $18.27 on Nov. 22. BAL has been falling alongside a descending resistance line since then. After two deviations below the $12.15 support area (0.618 Fib retracement), BAL began an upward move that caused a breakout above this resistance line. Currently, BAL is in the process of validating this descending resistance line as support. If it manages to increase above the $14.50 minor resistance area, it’s likely to make another attempt to move above $18.   BAL Chart By TradingViewEven lower time-frames such as the one-hour support this, since they show that: BAL has been following an ascending support line over the past week. It has completed an S/R flip near $13.20. Therefore, it should soon move above the minor $14.50 area and increase at an accelerated rate towards $18. BAL Chart By TradingViewConclusion To conclude, the BAL trend is bullish after a breakout from the long-term descending resistance line. Technical indicators and the price action support a continued rally towards $18, with the rate of increase likely to accelerate above $14.50. For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post BAL’s Breakout Could Pave the Way for Higher Prices appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Asia Morning Bites: Singapore Industrial Production and Global Market Updates

Kraken CEO: “How Do You Justify Not Having Bitcoin On Your Balance Sheet”

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 29.12.2020 17:58
Jesse Powell, the co-founder, and CEO of the Kraken cryptocurrency exchange, spoke with Bloomberg Surveillance about his thoughts on the growth in corporate interest around Bitcoin. Guy Johnson, the show’s host, explored many topics with Powell, beginning with the largest crypto by market cap. Powell talks about the recent acceptance of Bitcoin as a reserve asset and the inflation surrounding global fiat currencies as a major driver towards the leading cryptocurrency. Powell sees Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation, stating: “Bitcoin is finite, predictable, and even a greater store of value than something like gold” Johnson continued, this time asking Powell about a potential correlation between Bitcoin and the rise in tech stocks this year. Powell replied, “both financial assets are just kind of on fire and reacting to all the money printing that is happening” With major companies and publicly-traded firms investing in bitcoin as part of their treasury reserves, the asset class is starting to draw mainstream attention. Powell doesn’t believe there is a direct connection between the growth of the two asset classes, but that they’re both being purchased for wealth protection. When asked if this mainstream acceptance would decrease the amount of volatility seen in the market, Powell commented that he didn’t think bitcoin would experience low levels of volatility for a long time. He explained that it could go anywhere from “$20,000 to $1 million.” Much of the volatility will likely occur if institutions accept Bitcoin to the point that it can seriously compete against other asset classes. Powell thinks that only when this happens will it see significantly less volatility. Not Just Bitcoin Powell highlighted not only the positivity of Bitcoin but also the future of Ethereum. The Decentralized Finance (DeFi) sector took off this year, growing from less than $1 billion in total value locked (TVL) to close to $15 billion. Powell says, “The DeFi story is becoming a bigger piece of the Ethereum ecosystem.” As more DeFi applications allow users and the unbanked to transact without third-party intervention, the decentralized economy will continue to grow. 2020 has witnessed a skyrocketing number of new DeFi applications. And if more money enters this space, the number of opportunities will likely expand. The post Kraken CEO: “How Do You Justify Not Having Bitcoin On Your Balance Sheet” appeared first on BeInCrypto.
European Central Bank's Potential Minimum Reserve Increase Sparks Concerns

NexTech AR to Buy $2 Million in Bitcoin with Treasury Reserves

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 29.12.2020 16:10
Canadian augmented reality firm NexTech AR Solutions is preparing to become the latest company to use part of its treasury reserve to buy bitcoin. NexTech AR plans to buy $2 million worth of the cryptocurrency. The firm joins several others deciding to hedge their reserves with BTC. Purchases by firms such as MicroStrategy appear to have also kickstarted the recent bullish price action. Another Company Chooses Bitcoin to Protect its Wealth The turbulent global economic picture this year has inspired yet another company to protect its wealth in bitcoin. According to a Tuesday press release, the Vancouver-based augmented reality firm said it would make an initial investment of $2 million. The Canadian company also says it may buy more bitcoin at a later date. Evan Gappelberg, NexTech AR’s CEO, commented on the decision: “This initial investment reflects our belief that Bitcoin is a long-term store of value and an attractive investment asset with more long-term appreciation potential than holding cash, which is currently yielding 0.06%” Gappelberg added that bitcoin is emerging as a digital alternative to gold. Drawing comparisons between gold’s $10 trillion market cap and bitcoin’s $500 million, the CEO commented that bitcoin had more room to grow. The Year of the Corporate BTC Investment NexTech AR is the latest in a series of companies buying BTC with their treasury reserves. Earlier in 2020, MicroStrategy stunned cryptocurrency industry observers with a significant investment. Starting August, the firm announced several purchases that culminated in the sale of $650 million worth of convertible senior notes. The proceeds were spent on more bitcoin, taking the firm’s total holdings above $1 billion. Following MicroStrategy was Jack Dorsey’s payments company Square. In October, it bought $50 million worth of BTC using its reserves. Later still, Massachusetts-based life insurer MassMutual announced its own investment. The almost 170-year-old company diversified $100 million of its more than $275 billion assets under management (AUM) into bitcoin earlier this month. A New Breed of Investor Sending BTC to New Highs? MicroStrategy’s first bold BTC buy in August appears to have inspired a new wave of corporate bitcoin hodlers. Those announcing similar purchases all cite fear of a weakening dollar depreciating their reserves. The growth of institutional buying may have coincided with recent price action that has witnessed BTC move into the mid $20,000 – $30,000 area. Bitcoin traded below $12,000 when MicroStrategy announced its first purchase. Over the next four months, the price has increased by more than 135%. At the time of writing, BTC trades around $26,800, not far from its recent all-time high of $28,335 set on Dec. 27. The post NexTech AR to Buy $2 Million in Bitcoin with Treasury Reserves appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Asia Morning Bites: Singapore Industrial Production and Global Market Updates

Synthetix (SNX) Reaches New All-Time High – What’s Next?

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 29.12.2020 15:17
The Synthetix (SNX) price reached a new all-time high on Dec. 26 and is currently in the process of validating the breakout level as support. Indicators and the wave count suggest that SNX will hold this support and gradually begin moving upwards towards yet another all-time high price. All-Time High SNX had been moving downwards since reaching an all-time high of $7.88 on Sept. 1. The decline continued until it reached a low of $2.47 on Nov. 3. Since then, SNX has been moving upwards. On Dec. 23, SNX broke out above the previous resistance area at $7.40 and proceeded to a new all-time high of $8.77 three days later. While it has fallen since, the decline looks more like a retest of the breakout level than it does of the beginning of a new downward move. Technical indicators are bullish, supporting the continuation of the upward movement. Chart By TradingViewCryptocurrency trader @PostyXBT stated that he is longing the retest of the highs for SNX, expecting higher prices in the future. Both the retest and the readings from technical indicators suggest that a rally is the most likely scenario. Source: TwitterParabolic Increase The shorter-term six-hour chart shows that SNX has been following a parabolic ascending support line since Nov. 26. While the rate of increase alongside this line is unsustainable in the long-run, it’s possible that SNX continues increasing for a while alongside it. It has just reached this line and is at a suitable level for a bounce. However, there is some weakness in the form of bearish divergence in the MACD. Chart By TradingViewNevertheless, the shorter-term two-hour chart is more bullish. It shows a resistance/support flip at $7.50, also coinciding with the parabolic support line. Furthermore, the retest reveals two long lower wicks, a sign of buying pressure. The MACD has also begun to gradually turn upwards. As long as SNX does not break down below this line/area, it is likely to continue moving higher and reach another all-time high in the process. SNX Chart By TradingViewWave Count The most likely wave count suggests that SNX is in an extended wave 3 (shown in white below) which could end near $10.80. The sub-wave count is shown in black. If correct, SNX is likely in a complex corrective 4th wave pattern, which could be a triangle. A fall below the sub-wave 1 high at $5.48 would invalidate this particular wave count. SNX Chart By TradingViewConclusion To conclude, the SNX price should hold above the current support area and begin moving upwards, possibly reaching a high near $10.80. For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post Synthetix (SNX) Reaches New All-Time High – What’s Next? appeared first on BeInCrypto.
US Industry Shows Strength as Inflation Expectations Decline

SEC Charges Crypto Fund Manager With Fraud and Freezes Assets

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 29.12.2020 14:39
The SEC has issued emergency action against Virgil Capital LLC, all of its affiliate companies, and fund director Stefan Qin, to freeze the company’s assets in connection with potential securities fraud. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been cracking down on the cryptocurrency space as the asset class continues to grow and break all-time highs across a variety of metrics. Last week’s bombshell came after the SEC charged Ripple Labs and two of its executives with the sale of $1.3 billion in unregistered securities. This resulted in an over 50 percent decrease in XRP’s market cap. The SEC has now gone after an allegedly fraudulent cryptocurrency fund manager. According to the official press release: “Qin and his entities have been defrauding investors in the Sigma Fund since at least 2018 by making material misrepresentations about the fund’s strategy, assets, and financial condition.  The complaint alleges that the defendants misled investors to believe their money was being used solely for cryptocurrency trading based on a proprietary algorithm, while Qin and the entities used investment proceeds for personal purposes or for other undisclosed high-risk investments.” The complaint continues, stating that investors who requested redemptions from the initial Sigma Fund (Virgil Capital’s cryptocurrency trading fund) had their interest transferred to a different fund controlled by Qin. This fund was supposed to have separate management and operations from the Sigma Fund. The SEC alleges that Qin never transferred any of the funds, and in addition, Qin has been misappropriating the funds to raise new investments in his cryptocurrency based Sigma Fund. Kristina Littman, the Chief of the SEC Enforcement Division’s Cyber Unit, continued: “This emergency action is an important step to protect investor assets and prevent further harm, Qin allegedly made false promises to lure investors and then continued his deception to conceal his misuse of investor funds.” Are Crypto Price Rises Resulting in More Oversight? The SEC has not held back from going after crypto projects and fund managers in the past. But will the US-based watchdog spark a new wave of increased global regulatory oversight? As bitcoin prices eclipse all-time highs, authorities are likely looking into how they too can benefit from this asset class, not only to protect investors lured in by decentralized blockchain technology. As the cryptocurrency space matures, users should expect increased oversight from governmental bodies further afield. The post SEC Charges Crypto Fund Manager With Fraud and Freezes Assets appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Asia Morning Bites: Singapore Industrial Production and Global Market Updates

0x (ZRX) Finds Relief Above Crucial Support

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 29.12.2020 10:27
0x (ZRX) has revisited and bounced off of the long-term $0.295 area, validating it as support in the process. Despite ambiguity from technical indicators, 0x is expected to increase to the closest resistance area at $0.425 and could possibly move higher after.   0x Long-Term Support Levels ZRX has been moving downwards since it reached a high of $0.96 on Aug. 21. The decrease has been swift and ZRX reached the $0.295 support area at the beginning of November. Since then, ZRX has been trading in a range between support at $0.295 and resistance at $0.425. The price is currently trading closer to the resistance than the support. ZRX Chart By TradingViewTechnical indicators are undecided. While the Stochastic oscillator has made a bullish cross, both the MACD and RSI are bearish. Therefore, we cannot confidently predict the trend until ZRX either breaks out above resistance or breaks down below support. ZRX Chart By TradingViewWave Count The wave count suggests that ZRX is in the C wave of an A-B-C corrective structure (shown in black in the image below). The most easily identifiable part of this structure is the B wave, which does look entirely corrective. If true, the current increase could take ZRX above the $0.425 resistance area and towards the November highs at $0.55. On the other hand, a decrease below the wave 2 low of $0.31 would invalidate this particular wave count. ZRX Chart By TradingViewThe two-hour chart shows that ZRX has found support between the 0.5 and 0.618 Fib retracement levels. While the invalidation level of $0.31 is much lower, it’s crucial that the current support area holds in order for the hopes of upward continuation to remain intact. ZRX Chart By TradingViewZRX/BTC Nearly Reaches All-Time Low Cryptocurrency trader @Bitaltsguy outlined a ZRX/BTC chart, stating that if the current support area at 1,775 satoshis holds, ZRX could begin a significant upward movement. Source: TwitterSince the tweet, the support area has actually failed, and ZRX has continued its descent. The pair is currently trading near 1,400 satoshis. The next closest support area is found at 1,100 satoshis — the all-time low level. While ZRX seems all but certain to reach this level, technical indicators have not yet shown any bullish reversal signs, casting doubt on the possible trend reversal. In any case, the reaction to this area will be crucial in determining if ZRX can reverse its trend. ZRX Chart By TradingView0x Conclusion The ZRX/USD pair is expected to gradually increase towards resistance at $0.425 and possibly break out. The ZRX/BTC pair is trading very close to its all-time lows but has not given any bullish reversal signs yet. For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post 0x (ZRX) Finds Relief Above Crucial Support appeared first on BeInCrypto.
European Central Bank's Potential Minimum Reserve Increase Sparks Concerns

Coinbase to Freeze XRP Trading Amid SEC Lawsuit Against Ripple

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 29.12.2020 08:53
Following a pending lawsuit by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against Ripple Labs, Coinbase has announced that it will be suspending its XRP trading books beginning in mid-January. The suit alleges that Ripple Labs, former CEO Christian Larsen, and current CEO Brad Garlinghouse are guilty of raising $1.3 billion from XRP token sales as unlicensed securities since 2013. Due to legal ramifications and the uncertainty of the situation, Coinbase decided that it will suspend all XRP trading beginning on Jan. 19, 2021. Coinbase Goes on the Defensive Coinbase went into more detail in a blog post made earlier this morning. Until Jan. 19, 2021, when all XRP trading will be halted, Coinbase has moved its order books to limit only. The exchange did not give a definitive answer on if or when trading would be re-opened, but it will likely be determined by the development of the SEC case. Coinbase noted that deposits and withdrawals will still function as normal, so customers simply holding or transferring the asset should not be affected. Another issue further complicating the situation is the recent Spark token airdrop from Flare Network that was offered to eligible XRP holders. The snapshot for this airdrop was carried out on Dec. 12, and Coinbase assured customers that this process will be unaffected by the trading suspension. The Bitstamp exchange and many others already announced similar plans to delist XRP and halt trading and deposits. XRP Prices Continue to Bleed Since the lawsuit was announced on Dec. 22, XRP prices have sunk by over 56%. This massive plunge was likely fueled by a combination of fears over the SEC potentially classifying XRP as a security and post-snapshot profit-taking. XRP/USD Chart by TradingViewXRP initially climbed by over 200% in November to reach a more than two-year high of $0.82 before the crash really kicked off. It is currently trading for $0.225, but things could get much grimmer depending on the outcome of the SEC case and the actions that other major exchanges take to mitigate any legal issues that might be brought against them. The post Coinbase to Freeze XRP Trading Amid SEC Lawsuit Against Ripple appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Asia Morning Bites: Singapore Industrial Production and Global Market Updates

Bitcoin Continues Consolidating Above $26,000

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 29.12.2020 07:46
Bitcoin (BTC) has managed to stay above the $26,000 support but has failed to initiate a significant upward movement. Despite there being a lack of a bullish structure, Bitcoin has managed to hold on well above support.   Bitcoin Weakness Could Lead to Drop BTC followed up a shooting star candlestick from Dec. 27 by creating a small bullish candlestick the next day. This move didn’t come close to the prior day’s highs, however. The daily RSI has also begun to show weakness in the form of bearish divergence. However, neither the MACD nor Stochastic oscillator has generated any type of bearish signals. BTC Chart By TradingViewThe six-hour chart shows a more pronounced bearish divergence, visible in both the RSI and the MACD. In addition, we can see that BTC has been following an ascending support line, which is currently just above $25,000. The weakness visible in both the daily and six-hour charts suggests that BTC could drop and validate this line before moving higher. BTC Chart By TradingViewFuture Movement Lower time-frames reveals that BTC is trading above a minor support level at $26,250 (0.382 Fib retracement level). Up to this point, BTC has created a few long lower wicks that also touched the 0.5 Fib retracement level at $25,550. So far, there are no bullish reversal signs in the two-hour time-frame. A breakdown below these support levels could trigger a sharp drop to $24,000. However, as evidenced in the previous section, BTC is trading just above a crucial support level. This has created two long lower wicks, making it more likely that BTC bounces from the current price level. BTC Chart By TradingViewBTC Wave Count In yesterday’s wave count analysis, BeInCrypto stated that BTC is likely in the final sub-wave (black) of wave 5 (orange), which is expected to end near $29,800. Despite yesterday’s decrease, the count still remains the same. BTC Chart By TradingViewA closer look reveals that it’s possible that BTC just completed sub-wave 4 — or will do so after a slightly lower low. However, the invalidation level of this count just above sub-wave 1 at $24,661, remains the same. BTC Chart By TradingViewConclusion Bitcoin is expected to soon reverse its trend and make another attempt at creating a new all-time high price. A decrease below $24,661 would invalidate this particular scenario. For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post Bitcoin Continues Consolidating Above $26,000 appeared first on BeInCrypto.
New York Climate Week: A Call for Urgent and Collective Climate Action

US Firm Marathon Buys 70,000 Bitcoin Miners for $170 Million

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 28.12.2020 18:47
Marathon Patent Group has agreed to buy 70,000 Bitcoin mining units from Chinese ASIC manufacturing giant Bitmain. The deal is reportedly worth around $170 million. Marathon already operates mining units in the United States. However, Monday’s deal will significantly increase the firm’s share of the global hash rate. Marathon Bitcoin Miner Order is Bitmain’s Largest to Date One of the biggest Bitcoin mining companies in the United States looks set to grow even larger in 2021. According to a press release published Monday, Marathon Patent Group has just committed to buying 70,000 Antminer S-19 ASICs from Bitmain. The deal will see Bitmain supply Marathon with 7,000 S-19s in July 2021. A further 63,000 units will arrive in Dec. 2021. Once completed, Marathon will operate more than 103,000 miners. Combined, they’ll contribute 10.36EH/s to the global hash rate. Today, Marathon controls around 33,000 mining units. The order will more than triple its operation. Merrick Okamoto, CEO of Marathon, commented that the order was the biggest Bitmain had ever received in both dollar terms and the actual number of S-19 requested. He added: “We appreciate the hard work their team is putting in to fulfil this order… Our relationship with Bitmain is an important component of our potential for future success, and we look forward to continuing working with them to scale our business.” Irene Gao, Bitmain’s Sales Director for North, Central, and South America, stated: “Marathon has quickly become our largest customer, and our partnership continues to mutually benefit both of our companies.” Bitmain Inundated with North American Orders Marathon Patent Group isn’t the only major US Bitcoin mining firm keeping Bitmain busy lately. On Dec. 20, BeInCrypto reported on Core Scientific buying 58,000 Bitmain S-19s. The firm expects to receive its order by Sept. 2021. With the massive buy, Core Scientific claimed it would be the largest single miner outside of China. However, when both orders are completed, Marathon will command 103,000 miners to Core Scientific’s 76,000. Another major buyer of Bitmain’s mining hardware is Riot Blockchain. Another North American company, Riot Blockchain, has bought 10,500 Bitmain units since Oct. 2019. Is China’s Dominance of BTC Mining Coming to an End? Major mining operators setting up on US soil may potentially be good for Bitcoin long-term. Previously, critics of the leading cryptocurrency have pointed to China’s mining dominance as a potential security flaw. Further decentralization of mining interests globally is the emerging BTC hotspot of Iran. In May 2020, the Iranian government drew up a national cryptocurrency mining strategy. As reported in the Asia Times, Max Keiser thinks Iran’s interest in Bitcoin mining will force the US government to follow suit. In fact, the RT host believes such a ‘global hash war’ could send the BTC price beyond $500,000. The post US Firm Marathon Buys 70,000 Bitcoin Miners for $170 Million appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Decarbonizing Hard-to-Abate Sectors: Key Challenges and Pathways Forward

White Hat Hacker Steals $3M from Cover Protocol & Returns It Hours Later

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 28.12.2020 16:57
In an extremely bizarre turn of events, the Cover Protocol, a peer-to-peer insurance coverage platform, was recently exploited only to have its good samaritan hacker return the funds several hours later. Earlier on Monday, Cover Protocol suffered a major exploitation resulting in the loss of millions of dollars worth of COVER. Condensed down by Twitter user @Luciano_vPEPO, the hacker exploited an infinite minting bug on an incentives contract. Using this method, the perpetrator could stake their COVER, un-stake it, claim a reward and rinse and repeat. $COVER exploited:tl;dr infinite minting bug on their incentives contractstake > unstake + claim > re-stake > repeat https://t.co/EM33wPoJR7 pic.twitter.com/UxomHAdHrM— Luciano (@Luciano_vPEPO) December 28, 2020Unfortunately, hacks and exploitations are widespread in the cryptocurrency space, even more so in Decentralized Finance (DeFi). DeFi, by definition, is deregulated, leading some projects susceptible to vulnerabilities without recourse. Certain projects may not have undergone thorough security and usability checks before deployment. However, what happened next was perhaps more interesting. The hacker has since returned the stolen funds. Nevertheless, the market took a dive post the news, with the price of tokens temporarily dropping over 96% in value. Source: CoinGecko COVER’s market cap was already slowly retreating, dropping from a high of $59 million to $33 million. However, in the last couple of hours, it dropped to an approximate $1 million market cap. Anthony Sassano, a cryptocurrency entrepreneur and influencer in the space, highlighted an Ethereum transaction showing the $3 million return in funds. According to Sassano, the Cover Protocol hacker sent back the funds in the Ether profits to the original deployer. The hacker even embedded a caution message for the protocols developers: “Next time, take care of your own sh*t” The total amount returned was 4,350 Ether. Holy shit the @CoverProtocol exploiter just sent all of their ETH profits from selling COVER back to the deployer https://t.co/mjT32KXOUK— Anthony Sassano | sassal.eth (@sassal0x) December 28, 2020What is Cover Protocol? Cover Protocol is a decentralized application that allows peer-to-peer insurance and risk coverage for Ethereum based smart contracts. Cover is also a decentralized coverage marketplace that allows users to provide or receive insurance without oversight by a traditional third party. Decentralized financial applications have exploded in usage this year, growing from less than $1 billion in total value locked (TVL) to close to $15 billion. With additional capital comes increased hacking and malicious actors looking to take advantage. Though the project may effectively be dead, providing insurance for risky smart contracts appears to be an extremely useful blockchain use case. Who will insure the insurer though? If only the Cover Protocol took out insurance on its own platform, perhaps the project wouldn’t have suffered this fate.  The post White Hat Hacker Steals $3M from Cover Protocol & Returns It Hours Later appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Asia Morning Bites: Singapore Industrial Production and Global Market Updates

World’s Largest Asset Manager Looking for a Blockchain Lead

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 28.12.2020 14:57
BlackRock, the largest investment management firm globally with almost $8 trillion in assets under management (AUM), is on the lookout for blockchain talent. The role, titled ‘Vice President, Blockchain Lead,’ appears to be the first venture BlackRock has made in the cryptocurrency space. But will this addition to its team help set a new standard in the investment industry? On closer inspection of the advertisement, onlookers can gain a stronger feel for the type of position that BlackRock wants to fill. Accordingly, it’s looking for a candidate with experience in: “articulating the technological foundations of blockchain technology, including cryptographic hash functions, distributed network consensus mechanisms, and public-private key cryptography; devising and articulating fundamental valuation methodologies for crypto-assets;” It continues: “evaluating game theory and decentralizing governance models associated with blockchain technology; and working with key drivers of blockchain networks’ design and their impact on the four key dimensions of blockchain performance including speed, scalability, privacy, and security.” BlackRock: Another Global Player Looking to Crypto BlackRock will be researching, evaluating, and possibly investing in blockchain-based startups and projects. The announcement could indicate another step forward in the continuing adoption of blockchain technology. BlackRock CIO Rick Rieder said in a November interview that Bitcoin could largely replace gold. Blockchain enthusiasts will likely welcome the search for blockchain talent. 2020 has been a milestone year for blockchain and the cryptocurrency space. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum are breaking all-time highs or realizing gains not seen in years. This year has also witnessed some of the world’s largest companies, such as PayPal, MicroStrategy, and Square, taking to crypto. As a payment processing platform, PayPal created a way for its users to buy and sell certain cryptocurrencies using the PayPal platform. MicroStrategy and Square, on the other hand, invested a significant portion of their reserve assets in bitcoin. Square purchased $50 million worth of bitcoin, a small portion of its reserves, while MicroStrategy purchased over $1.3 billion worth. Like BlackRock, both MicroStrategy and Square see bitcoin as a long-term hedge against US dollar inflation. The post World’s Largest Asset Manager Looking for a Blockchain Lead appeared first on BeInCrypto.
California Leads the Way: New Climate Disclosure Laws Set the Standard for Sustainability Reporting

Long-Term Resistance Rejects BTCD, Relief Alt Rally Ahead

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 28.12.2020 13:53
The Bitcoin Dominance Rate (BTCD) has been rejected by a long-term resistance area at 71.5%, above which it has not consistently traded since 2017. A short-term BTCD decline towards the support levels at 61 – 64% is likely, paving the way for an alt relief rally. BTCD Reaches Resistance The weekly chart shows that BTCD has broken out from a descending resistance line that had previously been in place since Aug. 2019. After breaking out, BTCD continued its ascent until it reached a high of 72.05%. The high served to validate the 71.5% area as resistance, but BTCD failed to break out. If successful in doing so, the next resistance area would be around 84%. Despite the rejection, technical indicators are still bullish, supporting the possibility that BTCD will eventually break out. BTC Chart By TradingViewPossible Correction The daily chart for BTCD shows that the current upward move has been ongoing since the beginning of Sept. A possible rejection could cause BTCD to drop towards 62.8 – 64.4%, the 0.5-0.618 Fib retracement levels. Despite the daily rejection, technical indicators do not yet confirm this upward move. BTC Chart By TradingViewThe shorter-term four-hour chart shows that a parabolic ascending support line that had been in place since Nov. 23 has been broken, suggesting that BTCD is heading lower. Furthermore, technical indicators are bearish, further supporting the possibility of a drop towards 62 – 64%. BTC Chart By TradingViewAltcoin Perpetual Index (ALTPERP) Cryptocurrency trader @TheEWguy outlined an ALTPERP chart, stating that the index has decreased considerably and is now expected to bounce. Source: TwitterThe daily chart shows that on Dec. 23, ALTPERP declined and reached a low of $777. However, this only served to validate the $840 area as support, before ALTPERP created a long lower wick and bounced again. Currently, it is making another attempt at reaching the Nov. 24 highs at $12,26. Technical indicators are neutral, since while the MACD is decreasing, the RSI is right at 50. The Stochastic Oscillator has just made a bullish cross. ALTPERP Chart By TradingViewFurthermore, the movement since the previous Nov. 24 highs looks like a completed A-B-C corrective structure, fitting perfectly inside a parallel descending channel. A breakout above the channel would indicate that ALTPERP is heading higher. A loss of the $900 support area would place this possibility in doubt. ALTPERP Chart By TradingViewBTCD Conclusion To conclude, while it’is possible that the long-term BTCD trend is bearish, a short-term decline is expected after the rejection from the 71.5% area. An analysis of the outlook for the Altcoin Perpetual Futures Index (ALTPERP) also supports this potential relief rally for alts. For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post Long-Term Resistance Rejects BTCD, Relief Alt Rally Ahead appeared first on BeInCrypto.
GBP: ECB's Dovish Stance Keeps BoE Expectations in Check

Ethereum Rally Puts $800 Level in View

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 28.12.2020 12:03
Ethereum (ETH) is approaching a long-term resistance area between $835-$1015. This range contains a crucial Fib retracement level measured from the all-time high price. The Ethereum trend has not shown any weakness yet, suggesting that the $835 area will be reached.   Long-Term Ethereum Levels The weekly chart for ETH shows that the price is approaching the long-term $835 resistance level (0.5 Fib retracement). If successful in moving above it, the next resistance area would be found at $1,014, (0.618 Fib retracement). Weekly indicators have not yet shown any weakness, suggesting that the bullish trend is expected to continue. ETH Chart By TradingViewCryptocurrency trader @TraderLenny outlined an ETH chart, stating that because of its weekly close, the price is expected to explode. If ETH is successful in moving above $835 as indicators suggest, it could indeed rapidly increase towards $1,014. Source: TwitterOngoing Increase The daily chart for ETH shows the ongoing upward move and the lack of immediate resistance above the current price, with the exception of the previously outlined Fib retracement levels. While the MACD is losing strength, both the RSI and Stochastic oscillator are moving upwards. This supports the possibility that ETH continues to increase towards the previously outlined targets. ETH Chart By TradingViewSimilarly, the six-hour chart shows that ETH has broken out from a descending resistance line and has been increasing since validating it as support. Furthermore, it is also trading above the $625 support area. As long as it’s above this support, the trend is considered bullish. Also, there is no weakness in technical indicators, further supporting the possibility that ETH will continue increasing towards the targets. ETH Chart By TradingViewWave Count The wave count suggests that ETH has begun wave 5 (shown in black below), after completing a running flat in wave 4. A likely target for the top of the move is found between $809-$813 (4.61 Fib extension of wave 1 and 1.61 Fib extension of wave 1-3). Since this target also fits with the long-term resistance area, it’s likely to act as the top. ETH Chart By TradingViewETH/BTC The weekly chart shows that ETH/BTC is trading just below the ₿0.0275 resistance area after creating a long upper wick on a bounce from the ₿0.0225 support. However, technical indicators are bearish, suggesting that the current movement could just be a resistance/support flip, after which ETH will decrease. This scenario would be further solidified if ETH were to get rejected from the ₿0.0275 resistance area. ETH Chart By TradingViewSimilarly, the daily chart shows the ongoing ETH attempt at moving higher, which is somewhat supported by technical indicators. The current resistance area is also shown to be the 0.5 Fib retracement level of the prior downward move. Therefore, whether or not ETH is successful in reclaiming the current resistance area will be crucial in determining the direction of the future trend. ETH Chart By TradingViewConclusion Ethereum is expected to continue increasing towards the targets at $835 and possibly $1015. Whether or not ETH/BTC is able to reclaim the next resistance area will be crucial in determining the direction of the future trend. For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post Ethereum Rally Puts $800 Level in View appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Ethereum Overtakes $700 for First Time Since 2018

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 28.12.2020 11:28
While Bitcoin has continued on a showstopping rally toward the $30,000 level, Etheruem has been quietly keeping up the pace in terms of yearly percentage growth. Although Bitcoin has already broken its previous all-time high, Ethereum still has a bit more to go. In 2020, Ethereum has grown by 585% compared to Bitcoin’s 370% growth. Ethereum may not be getting as much attention as Bitcoin lately, but reclaiming a $700 price level and an $80 billion market cap gas gotten many excited. Ethereum Price Catalysts There have been many fundamental factors and events that have made Ethereum a stronger and more usable platform. The two largest factors are the growth of decentralized financial applications on Ethereum, and the transition to ETH 2.0. At the beginning of 2020, there was less than $1 billion in total value locked (TVL) in ETH-based DeFi apps. Less than one year later, that number is closing in on $15 billion, representing a monumental increase in usage. This addition in value on the network, as well as the users transacting across applications, shows the real-life feasibility of Ethereum as a network that can run decentralized financial applications. Another major positive factor in the Ethereum ecosystem was the move from Proof-of-Work (PoW) transaction validation to Proof-of-Stake (PoS). This transition took place as the network moved from ETH 1.0 to ETH 2.0. With this newly implemented verification mechanism, transaction speeds on the network will theoretically be faster and overall transaction fees should decrease. Instead of running expensive and highly technical equipment to take part in validating the network and earning rewards, users can now stake their ETH directly in the staking contract to start earning. To date, there are over 2 million ETH in the staking contract, representing almost two percent of the total supply and 30 percent of the TVL in DeFi applications. Growth From Institutional Investors Besides the fundamental growth that Etheruem is experiencing, it’s also starting to get more mainstream attention. Grayscale Investments, one of the leading digital asset management firms, has stated that it has institutional investors who are only interested in Ethereum — not Bitcoin. Grayscale has continued to grow its underlying ETH holdings for clients, closing in on $2 billion in ETH in its tradable Ethereum trust. In 43 days, the CME $ETH futures will go live.— Joseph Young (@iamjosephyoung) December 28, 2020There is also the launching of Ethereum futures by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the world’s largest financial derivatives exchange. CME has previously launched Bitcoin futures, which seem to have done well enough to justify the creation of futures for the second-largest cryptocurrency. All in all, considering the growth of Bitcoin and the cryptocurrency asset class, the fundamental enhancements of the Ethereum network, and the adoption of ETH by mainstream and institutional firms, Ethereum could continue to see its price rally to new highs along with Bitcoin. The post Ethereum Overtakes $700 for First Time Since 2018 appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Analyzing Bitcoin (BTC) Wave Counts to Estimate a Top

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 28.12.2020 10:13
The Bitcoin (BTC) price reached yet another new all-time high of $28,422 on Dec. 27. Despite the continuous increase, the wave count suggests that Bitcoin is quickly approaching the top of its current move. This could indicate that a corrective move could soon unfold. For BeInCrypto’s previous Bitcoin wave count article, click here.   Long-Term Bitcoin Wave Count The long-term count for BTC suggests that the price is near the top of cycle wave 3 (white), currently being in wave 5 (blue). Once a top is reached and a corrective movement begins, we would expect the entire upward move that began in Sept. to be corrected. Furthermore, because of the shallow wave 2 (highlighted in red) and the principle of alternation, we would expect a deep wave 4, which could take BTC down to $19,137 or $16,943, the 0.5-0.618 Fib retracement levels of the entire upward movement. BTC Chart By TradingViewCryptocurrency trader @TheTradinghubb outlined a chart for BTC giving $29,000-$32,000 as a possible area for the top. The wave count fits with that which we have outlined, in which BTC is completed wave 5 of cycle wave 3. Source: TwitterCurrent High A closer look at the movement shows that BTC is also in sub-wave 5 (orange) of wave 5 (blue). Using a Fib extension on sub-wave 1 gives us potential targets near $29,800 & $33,600, the 3.61 & 4.61 Fib extensions of sub-wave 1, respectively. BTC Chart By TradingViewAnd finally, the shorter-term two-hour chart shows that after breaking out from a 4th wave triangle, BTC has completed minor sub-waves 1 through 4 (shown in black). Therefore, BTC seems to be in minor sub-wave 5 (black) of sub-wave 5 (blue) of wave 5 (orange) of cycle wave 3. So, a significant correction is expected once the move is completed. BTC Chart By TradingView  Short-Term Movement Finally, the lower time-frame 30-minute chart further suggests that there is one more minor sub-wave increase before BTC reaches its stop. This is noticeable by the 4th wave pullback formation. A decrease below the minor sub-wave 1 high at $24,661 high would suggest that the correction has begun. BTC Chart By TradingViewConclusion The Bitcoin price is expected to complete one more short-term upward movement toward $29,800 before beginning a correction. For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post Analyzing Bitcoin (BTC) Wave Counts to Estimate a Top appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Best Crypto Trades of 2020

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 28.12.2020 09:41
The year 2020 has brought considerable increases to a number of well- and lesser-known cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin (BTC) reached a new all-time high on Dec. 1, while several smaller altcoins reached their all-time highs in August. An interesting year for crypto The year 2020 has been a very compelling year for traders who are active in the cryptocurrency world. It began with relatively stable movement in the form of a gradual increase. This served to create a bullish bias, since BTC made several attempts at moving above the 2019 highs at $13,880.  However, this was not a sign of things to come, since everything changed in the beginning of March. Potentially fueled by negative news from the fallout due to the coronavirus pandemic, BTC crashed considerably alongside the rest of the market.  The image below shows the price of the S&P 500 (orange), BTC (green) and oil (blue) in March, a month in which their values evaporated by 37 per cent, 54 per cent and 57 per cent, respectively. BTC Chart By TradingViewOn March 12, BTC decreased by 39 per cent in a day, the largest percentage decrease in history. BTC reached a yearly low of $3,850, the next day.  Interestingly, that is still the lowest price of the year, since BTC has gone on an absolutely massive bullish run since. On Dec. 1, BTC reached a new all-time high of $19,918, but has broken it several times until now, culminating with a high of $28,377, reached on Dec. 27. As of Dec. 28, BTC has increased by 280 per cent since the beginning of the year, trading at $27,000 as opposed to $7,200, which was the price on Jan. 1.  The outlook for cryptocurrencies in the year 2021 is decisively bullish, both in the technical and fundamental aspects. Institutional interest is increasing considerably, as evidenced by the stockpiling of cryptocurrencies by the Grayscale Investment Trust. Biggest gainers In this article, we will take a look at five coins which have increased the most throughout the year. Only coins ranked in the top 100 by market capitalization will be considered, and the increases will be rounded up to the nearest whole number. The top five alongside their rate of increase is as follows:  AAVE (50x) KSM (39x) BAND (27x) Celsius (16x) OCEAN (10x) As a frame of reference, BTC has increased by roughly 2.4x during the year, as of the time of writing — the measuring period begins once coins are listed on a major exchange, so some coins such as YFI and YFII are not included. AAVE (AAVE) In the year 2020, AAVE had one of the most memorable crypto runs to date. Besides the fact that the yearly increase was significantly higher than that of all the other cryptocurrencies we analyzed, it also measures admirably with increases from the 2017 bull-run. On Jan. 1, 2020, AAVE was trading at a low of $1.41. In mid-December, it was trading at around $74, an increase of 5,000 per cent for the year. In addition, AAVE reached a new all-time high of $99.53 on Dec. 5, dwarfing the previous all-time high of $48.5, which was reached in 2018. To put it into perspective, if you had invested $100 in AAVE on Jan. 1, you would currently have $5,000. The price movement for AAVE shows a parabolic move, which, while unsustainable in the long-run, has given amazing gains throughout the year. Interestingly, the parabola —  shown in green in the image below —  was not broken, as of mid-December. What stands out is the significant volume during the beginning of the run and the extremely low volume since then, a sign of a weakening trend. In addition, there is a possible double top pattern visible from Aug. 25 to the next all-time high, a bearish sign. However, the parabola is still intact, possibly allowing AAVE for a strong finish to the year, as long as it does not break down. Note: the logarithmic chart is used in the image in order to better visualize large price fluctuations. The same will be done with all of the images presented in the article. AAVE Chart By TradingViewKusama (KSM) Even though its rate of increase lags behind that of AAVE, KSM had quite a memorable run itself. On Jan. 1, the KSM price was trading at $1.15, while in mid-December it was trading at around $45, an increase of 3,850 per cent. KSM first reached an all-time high on Sept. 3, then proceeded to reach a slightly higher high of $65.2 on Dec. 2. Unlike AAVE, the increase for KSM is more of a straight trendline than it is a parabola, a sign of a more sustainable price increase. While this bodes well for its future outlook, KSM has also created a double top pattern. The pattern is very similar to that of AAVE and could be a sign of a trend reversal. KSM Chart By TradingViewBand Protocol (BAND) Out of the coins we have outlined, BAND is the first that has broken down from its structure, which is true whether you use a parabola (green) or an ascending support line (black). This is a bearish sign, and if BAND continues decreasing, it could be serve as a benchmark for the other coins with similar completed upward movements. Prior to breaking down, BAND reached a new all-time high of $17.78 on Aug. 10, but has been decreasing since. Measuring from the Jan. 1 price of $0.218, this was an increase of 8,500 per cent, and would have snatched the top sport from AAVE. However, after the breakdown, the higher prices could not be sustained and AAVE gets to keep the top spot. At the time of writing, BAND was trading at $6.03, with an increase of  2,740 per cent.  However, due to the break in structure, the outlook for BAND is considerably more bleak than that for AAVE and KSM. In addition, it is worth mentioning that the BAND has decreased by a little more than 60 per cent since the Aug. 10 all-time high, demonstrating the risks of getting caught in entering a trade prior to a significant corrective movement. BAND Chart By TradingViewCelsius (CEL) On Jan. 1, the CEL price was trading close to $0.138. After a considerable drop during the “March crash,” CEL began the current upward movement that is still ongoing, reaching a new all-time high of $2.72, on Nov. 30. The price movement is very similar to that of KSM, with the difference being that CEL has not dropped and validated its support line since reaching the all-time high. Furthermore, CEL has yet to undergo a significant correction. From the coins that we selected, it is the only one that has yet to do so. Therefore, while the relatively gradual movement is a positive sign, the lack of a correction is a cause for concern. A drop to the ascending support line would be a decrease of roughly 30 per cent. CELS Chart By TradingViewOcean Protocol (OCEAN) Finally, we arrive at OCEAN, which rounds out the top five. OCEAN was trading at $0.034 on Jan. 1, before beginning a rapid upward move that culminated with a new all-time high of $0.75 on Aug. 18. However, the higher prices could not be sustained and OCEAN was trading at $0.38, at the time of writing. This is an increase of 987 per cent measuring from the price on Jan. 1. Similar to BAND, the bullish structure for OCEAN, namely the ascending support line, has been broken. Furthermore, this occurred after OCEAN made an attempt at creating a new all-time high but failed to do so. These are both signs of weakness that could suggest that the upward move for OCEAN has ended and a significant correction awaits. OCEAN Chart By TradingViewTowards new highs The cryptocurrency sector is notorious for otherworldly price increases and decreases. These movements have served to create both a group of enthusiasts, who are enamored with cryptocurrencies because of their significant potential for gains, and a group of detractors, which disparage the crypto sector because of the inherent risks associated with these wild price fluctuations.  The fact that the use of a logarithmic chart is mandatory just to visualize the price movement further serves to drive this point home. An interesting observation is that the biggest gainers reached their yearly highs in August—September, before dropping. However, some of them proceeded to reach new highs in December. If their structure holds, it is possible that they have yet to reach their highs.  In addition, it is worth keeping in mind that after such a significant upward movement, the ensuing downward move is often as consequential. This was illustrated in the case of BAND and potentially OCEAN. This could especially be the case if the current structure fails in parabolic movements such as that in AAVE, since due to the rapid increase there is a distinct lack of support all the way down to much lower levels.  Note: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed here are those of the author’s and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of BeInCrypto. The post Best Crypto Trades of 2020 appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Does Bitcoin (BTC) Have the Steam to Reach $30,000?

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 28.12.2020 08:48
The Bitcoin (BTC) price continued its ascent last week, reaching another new all-time high of $28,422 on Dec. 27.   Short-term readings suggest that a top has not yet been reached and that another upward move could occur.   New Bitcoin High Creates Shooting Star The BTC price continued its ascent during the week of Dec 21-27, reaching yet another new all-time high of $28,422 on Dec. 27. Despite a relatively long upper wick, the weekly candlestick still looks bullish. Furthermore, technical indicators do not yet show any weakness, suggesting that the trend is still bullish. BTC Chart By TradingViewThe daily chart shows the first signs of weakness, visible in the form of a shooting star candlestick created on Dec. 27. The candlestick was also combined with a bearish divergence in the RSI. However, both the MACD and Stochastic oscillator are still bullish and could allow for the upward movement to continue. BTC Chart By TradingViewFuture BTC Movement The six-hour chart for BTC shows the first clear signs of weakness in the form of a bearish divergence in both the RSI and MACD. However, it also shows that BTC has been following an ascending support line since Dec. 10, which is currently near $25,000. As long as BTC is trading above this support line, it is expected to continue moving higher. BTC Chart By TradingViewThe 30-minute chart shows that BTC has broken out from a descending resistance line, which came after a downward move that looked entirely corrective (highlighted in red). If BTC is able to move above the current resistance area (0.618 Fib retracement), it would be expected to make another breakout attempt and possibly reach another new all-time high. Conversely, the loss of the minor $26,000 support area could take BTC back down to the ascending support line at $25,000. BTC Chart By TradingViewConclusion Bitcoin is expected to make another breakout attempt and possibly reach another all-time high. A decrease below $26,000 could trigger a significant drop. For BeInCrypto’s previous Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post Does Bitcoin (BTC) Have the Steam to Reach $30,000? appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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DeFi Growth Branches Beyond Ethereum

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 28.12.2020 07:42
Decentralized finance growth has exploded in the last two quarters of 2020 but it has not all been driven by Ethereum according to recent research. Wrapped versions of Bitcoin and stablecoins have been a huge driver of total value locked across DeFi protocols this year. There are currently 140,000 bitcoins tokenized on Ethereum — though not all are being used in DeFi. Ethereum TVL is 7.3 million ETH according to DeFi Pulse. This number has fallen by 23% from a record high of 9.5 million ETH locked in late October. ETH TVL Chart – DeFi PulseWhat Does it Mean for Ethereum? Messari researcher Ryan Watkins recently observed this surge in wrapped Bitcoin and a fall in ETH as a percentage of TVL in the fourth quarter. Nearly all the recent growth in total value locked in DeFi since the summer has come from BTC, stablecoins, and other ERC-20s.What does this mean for ETH?1/ pic.twitter.com/2x6CskMiXP— Ryan Watkins (@RyanWatkins_) December 28, 2020The charts indicate that Bitcoin is now about to reach parity with Ethereum in terms of DeFi TVL. “Still considering most of the BTC on Ethereum came after CRV and UNI launches not crazy to assume most of it is productive.” Currently, there are not many major Ethereum-centric yield farms which could also explain the decline. When Yearn Finance launched its yETH vault and Uniswap opened four ETH-based liquidity pools, Ethereum TVL surged to record levels. The yETH vault and Uniswap’s liquidity pools have since been closed and there is little else to incentivize ETH holders in the world of DeFi at the moment. ETH 2.0 a Big DeFi Driver The plunge in ETH locked in DeFi also correlates with the launch of Beacon Chain so it would be safe to assume that the majority of that has been staked. Currently, there are over 2.1 million ETH staked in the deposit contract and this figure continues to steadily grow. It represents 1.85% of the total supply and almost 30% of what is currently locked in DeFi. 64,228 with 2,066,690 ETH deposited. (1.46B @ 705 per eth). This is 392% above 16,384 validator min and represents 1.81% of ETH supply.Active Validators: 44,405Queue: 19,823 (~22 days and 1 hours to activate)…and ETH broke $700 today!— The # of ETH2 Validators are: (@eth2validators) December 27, 2020As staking becomes easier for average users, this may become a better passive earning opportunity than gas-intensive yield farming. Institutions are also likely to be getting in on the action, buying up ETH to lock up for the next year or two for guaranteed returns. The post DeFi Growth Branches Beyond Ethereum appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Five Bold DeFi and Ethereum Predictions for 2021

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 28.12.2020 06:32
2020 has been a huge year for decentralized finance and the Ethereum network which powers it. Next year could be even bigger according to some lofty predictions by industry analysts. In just twelve months, decentralized finance (DeFi) total value locked has surged by a whopping 2,000% as a new financial landscape starts to form. Currently, it appears to be just cryptocurrency enthusiasts taking part. Compared to the total market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies, DeFi represents less than 2% — so it has lots of room to grow. 2021 could be the year that it really takes off, providing there isn’t mass negative regulations or a crackdown on stablecoins. Big DeFi Predictions Spartan Group and former Goldman Sachs partner, Kelvin Koh, has made some bold predictions for the coming year in the crypto industry. Bitcoin prices hitting $100k may be a little farfetched, but Ethereum reaching a new all-time high seems likely. Currently, ETH prices are still 50% away from their peak, having just surpassed $700 today. 0/3 Here are my 10 crypto predictions for 2021 in no particular order:1. $BTC will hit $100K in 20212. $ETH will surpass its ATH within the next 6 months3. $DOT will be Top 5 by market cap in 2021— SpartanBlack (@SpartanBlack_1) December 28, 2020The Polkadot prediction is an interesting one as, aside from the token launch and a few minor partnerships, there has been very little news from the Ethereum-rivalling project this year. DeFi TVL exceeding $100 billion seems quite likely, as it would be a much smaller increase from current levels than it has already made this year. Koh also predicted that a major fintech app with 100 million+ users will start integrating DeFi protocols, further exposing the industry to mainstream retail investors. At the moment, there are six DeFi protocols with more than one billion dollars locked. Koh predicted that the number of billion-dollar DeFi tokens by market cap will also increase, and he foresees UNI, SNX, YFI, AAVE, and COMP as being top contenders. He also predicted that DeFi startups will raise millions in seed rounds, further increasing their fully diluted market caps. DeFi TVL Update The DeFi Pulse TVL chart appears to have been tweaked again with the removal of wrapped Bitcoin and the addition of a number of new protocols. This has lowered the figures slightly and is today reporting a TVL of $13.3 billion. The all-time high, according to these new metrics was $14 billion on Dec 20, so there has been a clear outflow over the past week or so. Maker remains the most dominant protocol with a TVL of $2.6 billion and a market share of just under 20%. The post Five Bold DeFi and Ethereum Predictions for 2021 appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Crypto Bull Mike Novogratz Hopes for ‘Embracing’ Regulator

Crypto Bull Mike Novogratz Hopes for ‘Embracing’ Regulator

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 27.12.2020 19:31
Billionaire Mike Novogratz remains bullish on crypto and hopes for a more crypto-friendly presidential administration. No Fear Novogratz Despite the Trump administration’s threats of new crypto regulations, Michael Novogratz, Galaxy Digital CEO, believes Bitcoin is remaining strong. He said the price rise of the past few days demonstrated the resilience of the bull market. “They are throwing a lot at the system,” he told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “It’s not actually impacting it.” BTC 5 Day Chart: TradingView Recently, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a division of the US Treasury, proposed disclosure rules for private wallets and financial institutions. The proposed regulation fights crime and money laundering revolving around cryptocurrency. Though this was considered a threat, Bitcoin has continued to rise, reaching about ~$28,000 briefly on Dec 27, 2020. Likewise, fear of a crackdown may explain why so many are moving their crypto in cold storage wallets and off semi-regulated exchanges. Under the new rules, independent crypto owners must identify themselves on transactions of more than $3,000. Platforms must report transactions of $10,000 or more. Bad for business Novogratz was nonchalant on “Squawk Box”. This style of regulation was a common approach of the Trump administration, he said. Novogratz also said that tightening regulation could send innovation and money out of the country.   He also hoped that the tune of the government would change when President-elect Biden takes office:  “I’m hoping, you know — we get a change of the guard in 20 days — I’m hoping we can get some more open-minded regulators.” The billionaire is a frequent donator to Democratic politicians, CNBC reported. Meanwhile, the Treasury Department has not yet implemented the new rules. It offered a 15-day comment period for the public to suggest changes. Novogratz and Coinbase both asked for more time. The former hedge-fund manager also slighted Trump for the poor timing of the new rules, which could be reversed with a change in power:  “It’s kind of endemic of the Trump administration trying to jam in legislation, and quite frankly there are a lot of unintended consequences,” he said. There has been a huge uptick in institutional investors recently, and Novogratz counts his clients among them. What’s more, retail investing seems to have fueled the epic holiday rise of Bitcoin’s price. Additionally, interest does not even seem as high as it was in 2017’s bull run. Still Bullish on crypto Despite the threat of legislation, the investor remains very bullish. In the past, Novogratz has said the new year will bring Bitcoin near to $60,000. He also believes less volatility will help attract larger investors. The only downside, he said, is that technology could be stifled. Regulation and predictability could bring in money, but it could also encourage visionary developers to look elsewhere in the world to stretch their crypto muscles. What he’d love to see is a regulator who finds a happy medium: “I would love an administration, I would love a regulatory framework that embraces that, not fights that.” The post Crypto Bull Mike Novogratz Hopes for ‘Embracing’ Regulator appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Bitcoin Waits for Retail Pump Despite ATHs

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 27.12.2020 18:57
According to data from Skew, retail interest in BTC has risen only slightly despite Bitcoin’s insane holiday pump. What does this say about the coming days, and will retail interest return? Recent conventional wisdom says that Bitcoin’s price has been rising with increased institutional interest. Ever since Grayscale and Paypal started snatching up the cryptocurrency faster than it can be mined, it seems the price has climbed and climbed. When BTC hit $25,000 on Dec. 25, the bulls did not stop. Interestingly, the ~ $28,000 price that Bitcoin saw on Dec. 27 happened on one of the quietest business days of the year. Because of the Christmas holiday, many major banks, businesses, and other financial institutions are closed. But if the big boys were pouring the cash, who are these whales pumping the price even higher? Retail me not So, though institutional interest is high, is likely driving price, and is prevalent, the holiday pump cannot be explained by that alone. Indeed, between Christmas and New Years, retail traders must be buying up Bitcoin.  So $25k* on 25th, three new ATHs $24.7, $24.8 and $25k in a day. You think institutions did that? On Christmas day? Retail did it – only people near a keyboard.(*$25k if you pick @bitstamp or @krakenfx tho not quite on @bitfinex) pic.twitter.com/6PmiEcdn7v— Adam Back (@adam3us) December 26, 2020But according to Skew research, retail interest has not hit the levels it did in 2017 when the famous bull run brought BTC to near $20,000 the first time. To prove this, Skew offered up a “Google Trends” chart of the word, “bitcoin.” In essence, this shows the measure of the amount of times “bitcoin” has been searched for and linked to in Google.  BTC still has headroom Even though that the Bitcoin is at all-time-highs and the market cap of crypto is also hovering at never-before-seen levels, there is still room for growth. 2017 vs 2020 – retail interest hasn't surged back pic.twitter.com/fnPHSYEbwr— skew (@skewdotcom) December 27, 2020In the end, some think that Bitcoin’s bull run is not getting as much mainstream media coverage as 2017-2018. Likewise, average-joes may have still not entered the market on hunches, hype, and fomo.  Google Trends Search for “Bitcoin Price” Another reason fueling the price could be bankers and other wealthy professionals’ end-of-year bonus checks. Some full-time traders may be putting their bets down on BTC, knowing how much institutional interest there is from inside the machine. Likewise, heavy stock-market traders may end up with cash if they are taking profit or tax-loss farming by the end of the calendar year. Stock markets are hitting all time highs, and unless a final and miracle cure for COVID and an even bigger stimulus package come, it is hard to imagine what might drive stock prices higher. Also of note is that Bitcoiners are moving their crypto into cold wallets and off exchanges. So besides newly mined BTC being bought up, it is also being made scarce. It seems like lots of crypto is going into cold storage, driving up price. Common citizens and financial big-wigs may help pump the market even more once retail interest picks up. And when banks and companies, fearing financial regulation, come back to work in January, who knows how far they can take the price. The post Bitcoin Waits for Retail Pump Despite ATHs appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Bitcoin Weekly Growth More Than Ethereum’s  Market Cap

Bitcoin Weekly Growth More Than Ethereum’s Market Cap

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 27.12.2020 14:28
Bitcoin is having a massive year, and the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization is continuing to see major market growth as the year comes to the end. Bitcoin recently passed all time high prices and leveled out under $28,000. However, the sheer volume of money investors are throwing into the asset also draws attention. However, the ATH prices are not the only figures catching attention.  In less than one week, the size of Bitcoin’s market cap increased by more than the size of the entire Ethereum market cap. The #Bitcoin market cap (+$76B) has increased by an entire #Ethereum ($73B) since Monday— Mike Dudas (@mdudas) December 27, 2020This fact is almost startling, as it shows how much growth and attention is focused Bitcoin. In the numbers A quick check on CoinMarketCap shows that Bitcoin’s market cap increased from $435.5 billion to $516.1 billion in just seven days. That’s an $80.6 billion increase. Dudas’ tweet pointing out this statistic is from about 9 hours ago. The Bitcoin price and market cap continue to grow, so the actual figure is well over $80 billion in added value over the last week. Does this increase reflect more about Bitcoin or Ethereum? Both of the top cryptocurrencies saw increased usage and adoption, and Ethereum went through a fundamental upgrade. Besides increased institutional interest in the cryptocurrency asset class, one of the biggest factors pointing to the growth of Ethereum is the drastic increase in decentralized financial applications, or DeFi apps. In the beginning of 2020, there was less than $1 billion in total value locked (TVL) in DeFi applications. That number has topped $16 billion (although it has since dropped slightly), in less than a year. Ethereum’s major upgrade early in December brought the network from ETH 1.0 to ETH 2.0. With the launch of ETH 2.0, the network’s verification process changed from a Proof-of-Work (PoW) to Proof-of-Stake (PoS) mechanism. Network validators will no longer need to dedicate electricity and computing power to validate the network. Now, they simply stake their Ethereum. This transition increases Ethereum transaction speed while decreasing user transaction fees: a win-win for network users. The fundamental growth of Bitcoin leads some users to see this as a sign that Ethereum is being overlooked. Anthony Bertolino, the Brand Director for iTrust Capital, replied to Dudas’ tweet stating, “This makes me incredibly bullish for ETH given the fundamentals between the two”. This makes me incredibly bullish for $ETH given the fundamentals between the two.— ⟠ Anthony Bertolino ⟠ (@iDecentralized) December 27, 2020 The post Bitcoin Weekly Growth More Than Ethereum’s Market Cap appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Was Bitcoin’s $25,000 Breakthrough Due to Retail Investors?

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 27.12.2020 12:20
Bitcoin, the worlds first and largest cryptocurrency by market cap, has continued to smash through all time high price records what seems to be almost every other day. On Dec. 24-25, Bitcoin was hovering around $23,000-$24,000, then launched past yet another previous all time high. What’s interesting is not that Bitcoin broke its all time high price again, but how and when it did it. Breakthrough x3 According to Adam Back, the CEO of Blockstream, institutional investors were not responsible for Bitcoin’s breach of $25,000, but that retail investors were. Back recently tweeted, “So $25k* on 25th, three new ATHs $24.7, $24.8 and $25k in a day. You think institutions did that? On Christmas day? Retail did it – only people near a keyboard”. On Dec. 25, much of the world celebrates Christmas, and companies shut down so employees can spend time with family and loved ones. Under these circumstances, for Bitcoin to break its all time high price three times in a day and overtake $25,000, retail investors must have been responsible. Most institutions are simply not working that day. So $25k* on 25th, three new ATHs $24.7, $24.8 and $25k in a day. You think institutions did that? On Christmas day? Retail did it – only people near a keyboard.(*$25k if you pick @bitstamp or @krakenfx tho not quite on @bitfinex) pic.twitter.com/6PmiEcdn7v— Adam Back (@adam3us) December 26, 2020Increased interest from a variety of sectors 2020 has been a hard year for the world overall, but a fantastic year for Bitcoin. In the beginning of the year, BTC was trading well under $10,000, and now it seems Bitcoin is preparing to close in on the $30,000 price range. Much of this rise in popularity is due to global financial conditions and increased institutional interest. These correlate as investors are looking for safe haven assets amongst financial uncertainty. This year, billions of dollars poured into Bitcoin from corporate investors such as MicroStrategy, one of the biggest business intelligence firms in the world. MicroStrategy has invested over $1 billion in Bitcoin. Michael Saylor, the CEO of MicroStrategy, also personally owns hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Bitcoin. He views the cryptocurrency as a strong hedge against fiat currency inflation. Changing environment Institutions with massive amounts of capital to invest in can drastically change the atmosphere around Bitcoin. They also provide a level of assurance to retail investors. When an average investor sees a top company invest hundreds of millions or billions into a new asset, it shows the investor that these large organizations have faith in the asset and the ability to maintain and increase in value. This increased institutional interest has been great for Bitcoin. However, market analysts only ignore the retail investors at their own peril. Retail is pumping billions of dollars into Bitcoin collectively. As some governments begin to inflate their currencies and suffer greater economic turmoil, we may continue to see both retail and institutional investors flock towards Bitcoin. The post Was Bitcoin’s $25,000 Breakthrough Due to Retail Investors? appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Tether Regulation Proposal ‘Apocalyptic’ for Crypto

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 27.12.2020 10:35
Unregulated stablecoins such as Tether face increasing regulatory pressure from the U.S. government. A new U.S. bill called the Stable Act is stirring anxiety in crypto circles. Passage could effectively put an end to billions of dollars of transactions and throw the industry back several years. The Act, as reported by BeInCrypto, calls for banking licenses for stablecoin issuers such as Tether. It doesn’t end there. The bill proposes additional requirements for Federal Reserve reporting. It also proposes issuance approval in addition to ongoing auditing requirements and an insurance policy to cover assets. Another proposal may require stablecoin issuers to store their reserves directly at the FED. This puts them under control of the central bank and severely limits their open usage. Apocalyptic for Tether, crypto A report by Dragonfly Research offers a deep dive into current stablecoin usage. It concludes that, should the bill be passed, it could spell the end of Tether; “Make no mistake: the day that Tether gets taken down will be apocalyptic.” Tether is by far the largest and most used stablecoin. Its supply increased by 410% this year alone from $4.1 billion market capitalization in early January to $20.9 billion today according to the Tether Transparency Report. Tether, or the ‘cryptodollar’ as the researcher labels it, revolutionized the industry over the past couple of years. It opened huge trading gateways with massive liquidity that were impossible by using fiat. USDT has been a life raft for many citizens in countries with hyperinflation or strict currency controls. It also helped power the rise of DeFi alongside Ethereum. However, multiple U.S. agencies and prosecutors are investigating Tether. The company has so far produced very little in the way of defense or audits. Tether cannot sustain its monumental growth is unsustainable, the research added. The authors state that the day of its demise will bring down the entire industry. “Crypto markets will seize, exchanges will be thrown into disarray, millions of crypto traders will likely have their assets frozen, and prices everywhere will plummet.” The future of stablecoins Currently, the Stable Act is just a proposal. It faces a lot of criticism from industry leaders and entrepreneurs, for example. They claim that the proposal sends the U.S. back into the dark ages in terms of innovation and digitization. However, a recent Presidential Working Group statement bodes poorly for this crypto segment. The statement suggests that all stablecoin holders should be subject to KYC requirements, which indicates that stablecoins are still in the line of fire. Tether may not be the future of the digital dollar. First, a regulated stablecoin that becomes the defacto standard is a likely replacement. Then, inevitably there will be more controls and identity checks from governments, banks, and tax authorities. If that is the case, the freedoms we have today with digital money movement could be a thing of the past. The post Tether Regulation Proposal ‘Apocalyptic’ for Crypto appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Russia Says Digital Currencies Could Overtake SWIFT

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 26.12.2020 17:29
The technology of digital currencies could challenge SWIFT international payments and could even overtake it, says the Central Bank of Russia. International Currencies The Russian state news outlet RT reported that the Central Bank of Russia says digital currencies will challenge current international banking systems. There are more than 30 central banks or other regulators that are researching Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). Russia has previously said it wants to make a digital ruble within a few years, but that it is not a priority. Seal of the Central Bank of Russia: CBR According to governor of the Russian Central Bank Olga Skorobogatova, some countries will launch new forms of their currencies within a few years In an online meeting earlier this week, Skorobogatova said that integration between nations can be put off for the time being. Once digital currencies are secure, then the world will need a new global transaction network. SWIFT: not so fast The current SWIFT system is the standard for international payments. More than 11,000 financial institutions in more than 200 nations across the globe use it. However, it is slow and expensive. What’s more, RT reported that some “Western” politicians have suggested cutting of Russian banks from SWIFT as a part of financial sanctions. Russia has been working on a domestically developed financial network called SPFS since then. Nonetheless, Russia seeks technology that would make such sanctions ineffective. BeinCrypto previously reported how a Russian ruble could solve such issues for the world’s largest country. Russia’s financial authorities are indeed developing a digital ruble. This new form of currency should exist in parallel with cash and other digital payments. Authorities say they could launch it as soon as next year in the disputed territory of the Crimea. Inter-CBDC relations The Central Bank has said that digital rubles could be used for international money transfers. However, this could only occur once other countries had adopted their own sovereign CBDCs. There are at least 36 central banks that have studied CBDCs. One of these is a pilot program in Switzerland which was coordinated with the Bank for International Settlements. China successfully tested its digital yuan, which it airdropped in certain regions. Their program now includes P2P transfers. Meanwhile, the European Union is slowly working on a digital Euro. An official from Russia’s central bank emphasized that international transactions are much more expensive than domestic ones. Though the digital transfer of money internationally is somewhat simple, it is a risk. Deputy Chairman Aleksey Zabotkin told RT that central banks must make sure money transfers are truly safe with new technology. He noted that this all depends on the demand for the currency. Some digital currencies, like Bitcoin, are safe and international by their nature. Perhaps some of that international market will not occur between digital banks, but between blockchains. The post Russia Says Digital Currencies Could Overtake SWIFT appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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IOTA Founder Takes to Medium to Clarify Relations

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 26.12.2020 16:29
IOTA’s founder David Sønstebø broke his silence on the matter of his departure on Dec. 26. Sønstebø published a statement on Medium. In the post, he gave his side of the story, and left public messages for the remaining IOTA Foundation board members. Technically happy To the public, IOTA was moving in a positive direction at the end of 2020. In December, IOTA formed a partnership regarding environmental sustainability solutions. On Nov. 30, the platform announced its next-generation wallet, Firefly. Moreover, the IOTA 1.5 public testnet, called Chrysalis, went live. Behind the scenes, tension was mounting. Terse at first The first official indication that something was wrong came in the form of a short post on the IOTA Foundation (IF) blog. In the post, the Board of Directors and Supervisory Board state that their interests and Sønstebø’s had “diverged significantly”. They thanked him for creating the entity they were running, and wished him entrepreneurial success. However, on Dec. 12, an addendum appeared on the blog. The foundation reminded readers that “IOTA is not about any one individual.” At the same time, the foundation emphasized the role that David Sønstebø played in the foundation and initial building of the solution. They also wrote that his departure “changes absolutely nothing” regarding the strategy and delivery of Chrysalis and Coordicide. Sønstebø’s reply On Dec. 26, Sønstebø published his version of what happened with his departure. He explains first that he remained silent initially in order for the release of Chrysalis to proceed. Sønstebø claims that what led him to write his article was the avoidable mess created by the IOTA Foundation. His departure, he writes, could have been coordinated between him and IF in order to squelch loose talk. Instead of chronicling a tit-for-tat style attack, Sønstebø points to three salient features of the project’s development that led to the breakup. He focuses on project maturation and the need for a separate CEO/COO. Then he concentrates upon finances (especially in 2020) and his repeated suggestion that the foundation liquidate in order to keep the IOTA project itself independent from markets. He also emphasizes that the liquidation suggestion was not due to financial problems at IOTA Foundation. Last, he describes a panicky Board of Directors seeing a possible benefit – the creation of new services – slip from their grasp. In his view as founder, they never had that grasp to begin with. Farewells fond and not After explaining his side of the story, Sønstebø has parting words for each member of the Board of Directors and the Supervisory Board. For some, he has fond remembrances, for others a scathing review. And for one, “And then S#!t happened.” The post IOTA Founder Takes to Medium to Clarify Relations appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Bitcoin Reaches $220,000 on Livecoin; Exit Scam Suspected

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 26.12.2020 15:46
On Dec. 24, 2020, Livecoin shut down trading after Bitcoin reached $220,000. The exchange says it was hacked, but some in the community think it is a coordinated exit-scam. Some say, it is not even Livecoin’s first. During the last couple of days, the price of Bitcoin rose to $220,000 on the Livecoin exchange. Along with Bitcoin’s exaggerated rise, the price of Ethereum rose by 960% to $6500. Though Bitcoin’s Christmas price of $25,000 may have seemed amazing, this appeared too good to be true. And it was. After this mega-rise in price, the platform stopped withdrawals. But users suspect that the platform is suffering from an exit-scam, or even perpetrating one. #LiveCoinメンテナンス画面に切り替わりハックされてコントロールを失っていたとアナウンスしかと見届けました pic.twitter.com/QTRRBZHiTT— yukio (@yukio_staker) December 24, 2020Too good to be true Livecoin’s BTC Trading Page with BTC Near 200,000: ForklogAccording to Forklog, initially this price rise was blamed on a technical difficulty. In an announcement on the homepage, the team promised the site would return to normal functioning soon. But frustrated users investigated. The Twitter user @yukio_staker noticed that funds, including 285 ETH, had been moved from Livecoin’s wallets. One of them, @yukio_staker says, is a wallet used by hackers during EXMO’s hack last Monday Dec. 21, 2020 for about $16 million. Later, the AMLBot, which tracks the addresses of bad actors, found that BTC from Livecoin went to the same wallet as BTC stolen from the EXMO hack. Today #Livecoin exchange was hacked. 3 days ago #EXMO exchange was hacked. Interesting that BTCs from both hacks came to the same address 1A4PXZE5j8v7UuapYckq6fSegmY5i8uUyq.Check it at https://t.co/odQNVJt4km#hackers #Bitcoin #exchange pic.twitter.com/u9McY58DnK— AMLBot (@cryptoaml_bot) December 24, 2020Livecoin changed their warning message to say that their exchange had fallen victim to a “carefully planned” attack months in the making. The firm said that their backend, servers, and nodes had all been compromised. They only regained control of some front-end functionality, which allowed them to post the warning message. The message pleads with users to not trade, deposit, or make transactions. According to Forklog, 106 BTC, 361 ETH and 236 BCH had been stolen via the linked addresses.  But users smelled something fishy.  Exit scam in disguise One anonymous user told Forklog that large withdrawals had been blocked a day before the hack. Customers were unable to withdraw smaller amounts beginning a few hours before the announcement appeared on Livecoin’s site as well. However, the loose ends don’t stop there. If Livecoin’s hacker is the same intelligent hacker as EXMO’s, then why did they use the same wallet in both cases? Surely separate wallets would be harder to track. Suspiciously, Livecoin’s chief has  been silent. EXMO’s Chief Business Development Officer Mariya Stankevich said that Livecoin’s director Svetlana Geller had deleted her Telegram account on Dec. 24, 2020. Angry users came together on the forum bits.media and Telegram to air their grievances. Meanwhile, they demanded that Livecoin halt withdrawals and proposed alternative theories.  The user vernichter suggested that Livecoin, or bots set up by the company, created a huge demand for BTC. This price rise sent users into a panic. Seeing the huge gains, they jumped on board at astronomical prices. Then, the company allegedly shut down withdrawals and ran off with the cash. History repeats itself Though this may sound far-fetched, Livecoin has come under scrutiny before. Veros Fundraising Platform had listed their token on Livecoin. But on Dec. 20, 2020, they Tweeted that users should withdraw them. Apparently, the balance sheet did not match up with the exchange’s wallets, and Veros called foul. We ask all users to withdraw vrs tokens from the exchange https://t.co/ICDvSKiy9d!It was found that the exchange has fewer tokens on the balance sheet than are placed in the sale orders.https://t.co/KvgQfkhthT— VEROS Fundraising Platform (@VEROSFP) December 20, 2020Just a few days before, Veros told Forklog that Livecoin used bots to manipulate the price of their token, VRS. The bots raised the price, dumped it, then scooped it up cheap, said Veros. The loss was to the tune of $800,000. Veros also says that this happened with many other trading pairs on Livecoin. In February, Livecoin was also accused of trading Monero the company knew to be stolen. Parsing out the truth from this one is going to take some serious chain analytics. The post Bitcoin Reaches $220,000 on Livecoin; Exit Scam Suspected appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Bitstamp to Cease XRP Trading and Deposits in January

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 26.12.2020 13:19
The popular exchange BItstamp has said it will discontinue XRP trading for US customers. This comes on the heels of an SEC announcement that the regulator is pursuing legal action against Ripple Labs. Halting XRP trading XRP haters continue to have their day in the sun as yet another crypto exchange halts trading. After Ripple revealed that it was facing a lawsuit from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for illegal securities sales, XRP’s price plummeted.  Soon after, a number of exchanges began delisting XRP or halting trading for US customers. OSL, CrossTower, and Beaxy exchanges all stopped XRP trading. The crypto hedge fund Bitwise removed XRP from its portfolio. All cited the SEC lawsuit as the reason. Then, Bitstamp threw in its towel as well and announced an end to XRP trading for its US customers. Bitstamp is the largest exchange to do so to date. In light of the SEC's recent filing alleging XRP is a security, we are going to halt XRP trading and deposits for all US customers on January 8, 2021. Other countries are not affected. Read more: https://t.co/RUGtkAjr08— Bitstamp (@Bitstamp) December 25, 2020On their website, the company announced they would halt all trading and deposits for XRP on Jan 8, 2021 at 9 PM UTC. US customers will be able to withdraw XRP thereafter, and citizens of other countries will not be affected. Bitstamp, which has a $500 million daily trading volume, says they will keep track of the situation and adapt accordingly. The very best security Ripple Labs announced that they were expecting a lawsuit from the SEC the day before the information was officially released by the authorities. The Feds accuse CEO Brad Garlinghouse and co-founder Chris Larsen of carrying out an “ongoing” illegal securities sale. In the US, securities must be registered with the proper authorities, usually the SEC, to be traded publicly. Some non-security assets are things like property and currency. Ripple Labs is insisting that XRP, which is designed to streamline money transfers, is a currency, not a security. Meanwhile, when the Fed comments on a cryptocurrency’s status, they usually designate them as property. Some frustrations arise with phenomena like proof-of-stake, in which small block rewards could each be considered separate taxable events. There is some pushback in congress to try and smooth out these inconsistencies. In the past, the US government suggested that it would consider Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) to not be securities. In 2019 Larsen and Garlinghouse wrote an open letter pleading with the US government to slow down regulation. Plummeting price 3 Month XRP/USD BIstamp Chart: TradingView After Ripple’s announcement of the upcoming lawsuit, the price fell 36% in one day. Ripple had been quiet through the summer when many other cryptocurrencies saw their prices pump. Finally, ahead of a very large airdrop of the Flare Network’s Spark tokens, the price rose to a high of $0.79. Spark tokens help implement contracts on the XRP chain, and each XRP holder was promised an airdrop after the Dec 11, 2020 snapshot. Then the lawsuit news arrived. Despite a short bounce around $0.27, XRP is still struggling to stay afloat above $0.30. With Bitcoin breaking $25,000 and gaining most of the attention, it may be hard for the #3 cryptocurrency to attract the tender love and care of investors it needs. The post Bitstamp to Cease XRP Trading and Deposits in January appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Fundamentally Strongest Crypto Projects in 2020

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 26.12.2020 12:03
There are numerous new promising cryptocurrency projects coming out every year. Some of them die quickly either because they offer nothing innovative to the cryptocurrency industry or a myriad of other reasons. However, some manage to thrive, lingering around long enough to grow through the ranks and eventually become staples of the industry. In this article, we will take a look at four projects which due to their strong fundamental basis and value added, could eventually become mainstays in the crypto industry. Elrond (EGLD) Elrond is a blockchain that sports a very impressive performance, allowing for speeds up to 10,000 transactions per second. It was first launched in July 2020. Besides its spectacular speed, what makes Elrond stand out from the pack is its use of sharded stake architecture. As a result, while for the majority of other blockchain the use of complex hardware is essential, Elrond can smoothly run on an ordinary computer. The network also has its own token called EGLD. Sharding is a scaling technique that is used with the goal of parallelizing transaction and data processing. Elrond has a unique approach called ”adaptive state sharding,” which allows each node to process only a small fraction of the transactions in the entire network, and do them simultaneously and parallelly, increasing the efficacy of transactions. Furthermore, the performance of Elrond scales up relative to the quantity of computers that are present in the network. There are three main types of sharding that are emphasized by Elrond: Network which groups nodes into shards in order to enhance communication between them. Afterwards, communication inside these shards occurs much faster than that in the entire network. Transaction which administers how transactions are depicted to the shards and processed. State. Each shard handles only a portion of the state. Transactions in accounts which are handled by different shards occur once communication between the shards is done. This reduces the susceptibility to malicious attacks, therefore greatly enhancing security. Elrond is the initial network to bring forward a feasible solution which successfully implements all these sharding aspects simultaneously. In addition to this, Elrond also employs a secure proof-of-stake (PoS) mechanism, mitigating risks resulting from potential attacks which seek to gain unauthorized access to the network. This is achieved through an improvement to the method which selects validator nodes, which in this case is based on the amount of EGLD held. This model incentivizes users by allowing holders to earn income by either staking or acting as a validator. The most favorable reward is achieved when becoming a Validator Node, providing nearly 36 per cent yearly return. However, this requires active participation in the network through an online machine. On the other hand, staking provides a 29 per cent yearly return, without active participation. Finally, the Elrond Virtual Machine allows for the use of more programming languages in order to develop smart contracts, including Rust, C/C++, Typescript, among others. Therefore, Elrond is capable of providing a more than satisfactory performance with relatively average computers through its novel handling of the sharding and consensus issues, generating low costs per transaction. MANTRA DAO (OM) MANTRA DAO is a decentralized finance (DeFi) project which is governed by its community. The main thing that sets MANTRA DAO out from other projects is its attempts at including its own users in maintaining the platform and creating activity inside it. It attempts to do this through incentives, done by focusing on lending, governance and staking. MANTRA DAO employs its own token, OM. Staking. MANTRA DAO website allows users to stake their OM holdings and gain a return of 28.93 per cent annually. Lending. MANTRA DAO uses both proprietary lending protocols and open sourced ones, with the goal of allowing users to receive interest for their crypto assets. This is done by offering loans to other users. Governance. Users have governance and voting rights, giving them a portion of the ownership of the MANTRA DAO ecosystem. Therefore, each time an important decision is made — regarding anything from interest rate adjustment or grant allocations — OM holders have a say in that decision. Furthermore, MANTRA DAO employs the KARMA mechanism, which rewards users when they contribute positively to the MANTRA DAO ecosystem. This effectively incentivizes them to use the platform. KARMA includes ten tiers, each providing new perks such as higher rewards for staking or reduced fees for transactions. In order to support its financial products, MANTRA DAO employs Rio Chain, a blockchain which is scalable and highly secure. Rio Chain has embraced a federated model with the aim of ensuring security, speed, and scalability. Besides being an interoperable system, which means that it allows different blockchains smooth interaction with each other, Rio Chain is able to process 3,000 transactions per second. Another interesting feature is the burning of OM tokens, which is done each time they are used in order to either complete transactions or pay fees on lending activities. This process is expected to continue until 50 per cent of the total supply of OM is burned. Stacks (STX) Stacks — previously known as BlockStack — allows developers to build smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps). In order to power smart contracts, Stacks uses “Clarity,” a programming language which further amplifies security. Therefore, developers can be sure that their data remains private when they create an application. Stacks uses its native token STX in order to complete activities in its blockchain. 1.3 billion of these tokens were minted in the genesis block. There are four main layers to the Stacks network, them being: Application layer which allows for the creation of new applications. Protocol layer which facilitates in the processes of storage, financial services and authentication. Stacks blockchain which serves to hold the entire ecosystem together. Bitcoin (BTC) blockchain is used in order to create new coins. Stacks is dependent on bitcoin, since it reuses its computing power as part of a new mechanism called proof-of-transfer (PoX). This is probably the most interesting aspect of Stacks. PoX serves to determine the requirements of miners in order to create new blocks on the blockchain. Proof-of-work (PoW) was the earliest such method, requiring miners to solve complex mathematical problems. Afterwards came by PoS, which required users to stake their holdings in order to power the ecosystem. Finally, proof-of-burn (PoB) destroys coins in order to gain block rewards, usually working hand in hand with PoW. Proof-of-transfer was introduced in 2020, and aims to be a long-term sustainable solution that rises above the shortcoming of the previous three methods. There are two types of participants in proof-of-transfer: Validating Nodes. The ones who transfer BTC to the Stacks network and then earn STX as a reward for their mining contribution. Stackers. The STX token holders, who are recipients of BTC from validating nodes. Since Stacks uses the consensus from the existing BTC blockchain, mining is more energy efficient. While similar, PoX is more efficient than proof-of-burn, since instead of burning coins they are transferred to the ”stackers.” In a nutshell, PoX results in the creation of a new STX coin through a BTC transfer. Furthermore, since Stacks uses the BTC platform, each action taken in the Stacks platform can be verified in the BTC one. This is especially useful with ever increasing instances of security breaches on different platforms. Therefore, leveraging the security of bitcoin greatly reduces this risk. Stacks 2.0, a layer-1 blockchain is expected to launch on Jan. 14, 2021. Enjin (ENJ) Enjin is a blockchain platform that is focused primarily on the gaming industry, more specifically on the creation of digital assets that are owned by the user. Users have ownership of their in-game items, which means that they can trade them and gain value in return. Furthermore, an item is not used exclusively in one game, rather it can be carried throughout different games as if they were part of the same world. This is possible since assets are stored in a blockchain which is decentralized, thus all developers have access to it. Enjin uses its native token called Enjin Coin (ENJ). The value of ENJ comes from its lock-up mechanisms. As more and more items are created, ENJ is locked up (stored), while when items are destroyed (through burning), ENJ is released. Therefore, as the ENJ platform is used by more people, hence creation of items increases, the ENJ supply actually decreases. Blockchain technology for Enjin is used for four main benefits: Item ownership. Convenient exchange. Provides the opportunity to instantly trade items. Reserve value. Items that are unwanted can be burned for ENJ. Use of a single wallet. The Enjin wallet can store all digital assets in one location. The Enjin ecosystem allows for the creation, trading and storage of these items. It does so by the use of: Enjin wallet that safely stores items and cryptocurrencies. EnjinX, an explorer that is used to observe items and transactions. Unity Plugin, a plugin which permits developers to implement and release games on multiple platforms. Marketplace, a secure space in which items are traded. Enjin has partnerships with multiple well-known technology companies, including Samsung and Microsoft. Finally, ENJ has set foot in the DeFi game sector since it is supported by AAVE, which allows depositing ENJ on the AAVE protocol platform and receive interest while others are borrowing the ENJ you have provided. Unique areas of interest To conclude, all of the coins we have analyzed have their own unique areas of interest, which set them out from the pack and provide potential for future growth. The main area of interest for MANTRA DAO is its governance system, which allows users to benefit from active participation in the ecosystem. For Elrond, the most interesting aspect is its sharding mechanism, allowing it to work effectively even when used by average computers. What sets Stacks out is its PoX mechanism and relationship to BTC, while Enjin allows for opportunities to create fully owned collectible items which can either be used or traded. NOTE: The views expressed here are those of the author’s and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of BeInCrypto.   The post Fundamentally Strongest Crypto Projects in 2020 appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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SEC Crypto Mom Greets Pro-Crypto Acting Chairman

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 26.12.2020 11:09
SEC Commissioner Hester Price tweeted on Dec. 24 her congratulations to fellow commissioner Elad Roisman on his promotion. Congratulations, Chairman Roisman! I look forward to your leadership of the SEC.— Hester Peirce (@HesterPeirce) December 24, 2020Securities and Exchange Commissioner (SEC) Roisman’s appointment is not official. The SEC and White House have not confirmed the fact. However, Commissioner Price, known to the crypto community as Crypto Mom, did tweet her greetings. Feat of Clayton at SEC The move comes a day after SEC Chairman Jay Clayton announced his immediate departure. Clayton indicated in November that he would leave by year-end. However, the actual date was not previously specified.  Clayton’s departure itself came a day after the SEC formally charged Ripple and two of its top executives with selling $1.3 billion in unregistered securities. The SEC claims that along with Ripple Labs itself, founder and former CEO Larsen and current CEO Garlinghouse also ‘affected’ about $600 million in personal sales. These sales lacked the disclosure necessary to allow potential investors the opportunity to understand what they were buying. At this point, it's reasonable to assume that Jay Clayton's SEC will never approve a bitcoin ETF.His term ends on June 5, 2021, but could go another 18 months longer.Usually we'd see new ETF proposals filed immediately after rejection, but it might be time to take a year off.— Jake Chervinsky (@jchervinsky) October 10, 2019Short tenure While Clayton dragged his feet over Bitcoin ETFs, others are dreaming of them. For example, Real Vision CEO Raoul Pal is one of them. In a recent interview, he stated that he saw Bitcoin ETFs as one of the catalysts for Bitcoin’s march upward. However, Roisman’s tenure as Acting Chairman, if the White House does make it official, is likely to be short. Observers expect President-Elect Joe Biden to appoint his own SEC Commissioner early in 2021.  In the meantime, the crypto community has a relatively digital-currency friendly Acting Commissioner on its hands. During his confirmation hearings in the US Senate in 2018, Roisman took a pro-crypto direction. At the end of his opening remarks, Roisman stated that the SEC needs to review its rules to keep them “working as intended”. This applied, he said, in particular to “areas such as data protection and cybersecurity, as well as the emergence of new investments and technologies such as initial coin offerings and blockchain.” The post SEC Crypto Mom Greets Pro-Crypto Acting Chairman appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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A Bitcoin Christmas Present: New All-Time High!

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 25.12.2020 17:19
Bitcoin hit $24,680 in a brief leap around 12.00 UTC. At the time of this writing, BTC remains just a touch above $24,000. The BTC all-time high (ATH) made for a nice holiday greeting. Gemini Exchange co-founder and crypto bull Cameron Winklevoss tweeted his regards after the peak hit: Merry Christmas! Santa left $24.5K #Bitcoin under the treepic.twitter.com/n4Ad19rE2v— Cameron Winklevoss (@cameron) December 25, 2020Rollercoaster Week Just days after hitting new ATH’s, bitcoin reached a new peak on Dec. 25. While not the $25,000 present some were asking for under their tree on Christmas Day, the $24,600 handle at least probably puts that figure psychologically in reach. No XRP Grinch for Bitcoin The jump also comes after cryptocurrencies in general recovered from a body blow. On Dec. 23, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) opened a lawsuit against Ripple. The SEC claims that Ripple’s XRP is a commodity. BTC hit short-term lows after the announcement around $22,700. However, Bitcoin, driven by the influx of institutional investors, has returned to its highs rather quickly. XRP, which had been flirting with $0.60 on Dec. 20, bottomed out at just below $0.23 on Dec. 24 and is now in the mid-thirty-cent range.  Who Has BTC in their stockings? The ATH news comes after Glassdoor published a tweet indicating just how broad-based bitcoin is now. According to its chart, there are over 800,000 wallets with a bitcoin holding of over 1.0 BTC as of Christmas Eve. The amount surprised some observers, considering that there are 7.8 billion people. However, that also compares to a total of over 33 million addresses with non-zero balances. Christmas 2021 on the Moon? The ATH is a nice Christmas present for bitcoin hodlers. Will it be the low for 2021? In the opinion of Real Vision CEO Raoul Pal, it could be. Lark Davis released on Dec. 24 an interview with Pal. In it, Pal makes the case that this post-halving cycle is different from previous ones. The major change in the market structure, he says, is that institutional investors are present. This is hardly news. What Pal pays attention to, though, is the effect institutional investors have on the market. He sees less volatility moving forward. He also expects to see exchange-traded funds appear as companies look to avoid paying Grayscale’s premiums. Looking forward to the next cycle, gains should be lower due to the changing market landscape. And this time? Pal says that if bitcoin acts the way it did in the last two cycles, the peak is at one million dollars.   The post A Bitcoin Christmas Present: New All-Time High! appeared first on BeInCrypto.
LTC Continues Its Ascent Towards $150

LTC Continues Its Ascent Towards $150

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 25.12.2020 14:50
The Litecoin (LTC) price has been increasing at an accelerated rate over the past two weeks and is currently approaching the $149 resistance area. It should reach this area and possibly break out. LTC Long-Term Levels The weekly chart shows that LTC has been moving upwards since the beginning of March. It’s approaching the $149 resistance area, which is the 0.382 Fib retracement level of the entire previous downward move and coincides with the June 2019 highs. If it breaks out successfully, the next resistance area would be at $187. Technical indicators are bullish, supporting the possibility that it will rally at least to the $149 resistance area and possibly break out. Chart By TradingViewFuture Movement The daily chart also supports the possibility that it will increase at least to the $149 resistance area. Despite a still unconfirmed bearish divergence in the RSI, both the MACD and Stochastic Oscillator are moving upwards, showing no signs of weakness whatsoever. Chart By TradingViewThe shorter-term two-hour chart shows that LTC has already broken out from a descending resistance line and has moved upwards at an accelerated rate. Similar to the weekly and daily time-frames, technical indicators are bullish. Therefore, LTC is likely to continue increasing towards $149 and possibly $187. A decline below the $100 support area would invalidate this possibility. LTC Chart By TradingViewLTC/BTC Cryptocurrency trader @damskotrades outlined an LTC/BTC chart, stating that it has fallen back to the range low. He expects a significant upward move. Source: TwitterThe weekly LTC/BTC chart looks quite bullish. First, LTC has broken out from a descending resistance line that had previously been in place since the beginning of the year. Also, there is significant bullish divergence in both the MACD and the RSI, the latter having just crossed above 50. Finally, the Stochastic Oscillator has just made a bullish cross. Therefore, LTC should continue increasing towards ₿0.0095 and possibly ₿0.011 Chart By TradingViewConclusion To conclude, the LTC/USD pair is likely to continue increasing towards $149 and possibly $187. On the other hand, LTC/BTC looks macro bullish and should slowly move towards ₿0.0095 and possibly ₿0.011 For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto.   The post LTC Continues Its Ascent Towards $150 appeared first on BeInCrypto.
California Leads the Way: New Climate Disclosure Laws Set the Standard for Sustainability Reporting

Best Performing DeFi Tokens in 2020

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 25.12.2020 13:46
Without a doubt, decentralized finance (DeFi) has been the primary driver of crypto market momentum in 2020. Granted, bitcoin (BTC) made 200 per cent during the year and ethereum (ETH) over 380 per cent, but some of the DeFi-related tokens have surpassed those gains with monumental moon shots of their own. Many of today’s DeFi-related coins did not exist at the beginning of the year as the scene has resembled a microcosmic explosion of new protocols and tokens all within a six-month period. Many of those tokens have resembled the pump and dump patterns that 2017’s altcoins went through, but some have performed solidly, and this article will highlight those high flying assets. Early days of DeFi There were not many DeFi-related tokens trading at the beginning of 2020, just a fraction of what had flooded the markets by the end of the year. Every new protocol needed its own governance token and they were mined like crazy by “degenerate farmers,” or degens as they became known, seeking a quick buck. Naturally, the whales and insiders got considerably richer off this farming frenzy while the smaller retail traders seeking short term gains generally got burnt fingers. Investing into a new project just hours too late often resulted in a painful exit as those insiders made off with the loot, dumping the newly distributed tokens back onto the market. Anyway, back to the beginning of 2020, and the leading token and platform for the industry was Maker’s MKR priced at $440 during the first week of the year. Also in the top 100 crypto assets was Synthetix’s SNX which was trading for $1.13. If Chainlink (LINK) is to be considered a DeFi token, it was priced at $1.81, at the time. The 0x Protocol token, ZRX, was trading at around $0.187, at the time, and Augur’s REP was priced at $9.46. Kyber Network’s KNC was outside the top 100 trading at $0.21, as was Bitcoin wrapping protocol token REN at $0.035. Loopring’s LRC was at $0.022, while Aave’s LEND token was changing hands for just $0.016. Outside the top 200 were Bancor’s BNT, Gnosis’ GNO, THORChain’s RUNE, and KAVA. This pretty much sums up the major DeFi-related tokens, at the beginning of the year. Way off the radar in the low cap divisions was Melon Protocol’s MLN token, which was trading for around $2.90, at the time. Prices for the beginning of 2020 have been taken from Coinmarketcap’s historical snapshot for the first week in January. Long-term gainers From those that were around at the beginning of the year, a few have made impressive gains. Maker ended up as the top DeFi protocol in terms of total value locked which was around $2.6 billion by mid-December, but its MKR token price gains left a lot to be desired with just 22 per cent added. SNX did much better over the year netting a 360 per cent gain to top $5.20 by mid-December, while LINK was on fire in 2020 gaining over 650 per cent, over the year. ZRX doubled in price, REP made 70 per cent, KNC cranked 330 per cent, but REN topped them all with a 725 per cent gain ending in mid-December at around $0.30. Loopring also had an epic year, with a gain of 670 per cent to reach $0.17, and Aave’s LEND token was rebalanced and rebranded to AAVE with the supply reduced by 100 times, so the relative price gain would have worked out at around a ridiculous 5,000 per cent, as it topped $85 by mid-December. Bancor’s BNT token had a solid year gaining 670 per cent, while Gnosis’ GNO made 470 per cent, and Melon, which has recently rebranded to Enzyme Finance, has trounced them all with over 960 per cent added over the twelve months for MLN. New kids on the DeFi block The majority of DeFi tokens were spawned between August and October, and the majority of those have exhibited pump and dump patterns remnant of the 2017 — 2018 altcoin and initial coin offering (ICO) boom and bust cycle. Some have performed better than others, however, and the Messari DeFi Returns Index is a good resource to compare them. Yearn Finance has been one of the most innovative and influential DeFi platforms of the year by introducing a way to simplify and automate yield farming with its strategies and vaults. According to the Messari index, its native YFI governance token has made around 2,350 per cent by mid-December. From a basically zero value token, YFI surged to a ridiculous bitcoin beating price of $44,000 in mid-September driven by pure FOMO and the perception of a very limited supply. By mid-December, YFI was still trading higher than BTC at around $26,500. There were a number of other newcomers that made a big impact at the time driven by degen FOMO, but have fallen back since. Some of the survivors include UMA, which traded at around $1.50 in May and June before surging to $25 in early September and retreating to $9 in December. Cover Protocol is another newly launched DeFi insurance based token that has made big moves with a 260 per cent gain from launch price to current prices.   A slew of dodgy food farming themed tokens sprung up in the latter half of 2020, but as we’ll see below, the majority of them wilted soon after they had fruited. DeFi pumps and dumps Not all DeFi tokens have made gains, and many of them are still languishing way below their peaks and pumps that occurred when the protocol was launched. SushiSwap’s SUSHI governance token is probably the best known one as it surged to almost $9, after the protocol was launched in early September. Prices then crashed a few days later, when the founder known as Chef Nomi sold his stash and the token ended up 95 per cent down from ATH two months later. In mid-December, SUSHI was still 70 per cent off its peak, trading at $2.80. In mid-December, Yam Finance’s YAM v2 token was down 87 per cent from its giddy height of almost $50 in early September. Curve Finance has been another pump and dump type token, as it too surged to $1.60 when the protocol launched and dumped soon after. At the time of writing, CRV was trading for $0.64, down 60 per cent from its all-time high. Swerve Finance has shown a similar pattern with a pump to $7 in a FOMO driven product launch, then a 90 per cent dump to the prices around $0.7. It’s the same story for Pickle Finance, which powered to over $55 before sliding over 70 per cent to below $15 in mid-December. Yield farming pioneer Compound Finance has also seen its governance token drop over 50 per cent from its initial pump over $300. Uniswap’s new governance token UNI cranked to $7, just after the big airdrop but has since retreated around 45 per cent. Other depressed DeFi tokens include YFII, ADEL, BAL, MTA, SRM, APY, BZRX, and CREAM. Concluding the top DeFi performers of 2020 Aave’s token of the same name takes the gold medal for best performing DeFi asset of 2020, with a monumental gain of around 5,000 per cent. This is taking into consideration the token supply reduction and migration, as the original LEND token was trading for around $0.016, at the beginning of the year. Yearn Finance’s YFI takes silver in terms of gains, with an eye watering 2,350 per cent year to date and an all-time high of $44,000, less than two months after it was launched. Decentralized on-chain asset management protocol Melon, which is now called Enzyme Finance, comes in with bronze, according to Messari, notching up an impressive 960 per cent gain, over the year, for its native MLN token, which had reached $32 by mid-December. In the 500 per cent plus group are Chainlink’s LINK, wrapped Bitcoin protocol token REN, Layer 2 DEX Loopring’s LRC, Bancor’s native token BNT, and GNO from Gnosis. DeFi’s ups and downs As we have seen, not all DeFi tokens have golden linings, and the mass explosion of them from August to October overwhelmed markets with largely useless governance tokens for duplicates of clones of other protocols with their own tokens. It was literally a token fest, as degen farmers jumped from liquidity pool to liquidity pool to load up on these governance token distributions. They then proceed to sell them as soon as they could, totally negating the concept of the protocol. The entire scene has been very similar to the altcoin bubble three years ago when everything had to have a blockchain and a token whether it needed it or not. As we have seen since then, only the fittest will survive in this fast-paced world of decentralized finance. NOTE: The views expressed here are those of the author’s and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of BeInCrypto. The post Best Performing DeFi Tokens in 2020 appeared first on BeInCrypto.
European Central Bank's Potential Minimum Reserve Increase Sparks Concerns

1inch Announces Airdrop and Lists on FTX

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 25.12.2020 13:17
1inch Network went live on Dec. 25, the company announced on Twitter. In a series of tweets, 1inch explained the basics of its Instant Governance feature and Aggregation Protocol. FTX tweeted that 1inch spots and futures are now open. 1/ Delighted to announce that 1INCH Token is LIVE! Learn more about the governance/utility token and the token architecture: https://t.co/6POyBLHmKO — 1inch.exchange (@1inchExchange) December 25, 20201Inch Lives The 1INCH governance token will be sent out to wallets with previous exposure. Uniswap used this distribution mode for the launch of its UNI tokens in September 2020. 1INCH, similar to about 45% of decentralized solutions, runs on Ethereum. 1inch also stated that liquidity mining would begin on Dec. 28 for those providing liquidity via ETH, DAI, WBTC, USDC, USDT, and YFI. The company tweeted that distribution would be “0.5 percent of the 1inch token supply” through Jan. 10, 2021. The terms for claiming at the exchange are: Wallet registered on the exchange before midnight on Dec. 24, 2020 (UTC)One trade or more before Sep. 15, ORFour trades or more, total, ORVolume of at least $20Enter the Agile 1inch’s founders designed the network to be very agile in the face of changing conditions. In a blog post, the company explains that its solution is called “instant governance.” This lets governance token owners have a say regarding changes to the protocol in a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) environment. Working through a DAO model ensures transparency, efficiency, and ease of operation. 1INCH Governance Punch 1INCH holders will focus first on two basic governance issues. The company writes that the Aggregation Protocol collects “leftovers” from when trade execution gains a better rate than that quoted to the user. While the designers implemented the DEX to provide the best prices possible, differences are likely. In a fast-moving market, a change, which the platform calls a Spread Surplus, could emerge.  Currently, the Spread Surplus goes to users who refer others to the network. However, 1INCH holders can change this.  The other governance issue at hand is the Liquidity Protocol. This is version two of the protocol, and the price impact fee is front and center. The fee grows to give an advantage to liquidity providers and 1INCH holders when volatility increases.  Governance token holders can adjust several features of the Liquidity Protocol. This includes fees for price impact and swaps, rewards for governance and referrals, and the decay period. The decay period is a way to affect the price spread after a trade. It acts as a safety measure to help traders avoid front-running attacks. The post 1inch Announces Airdrop and Lists on FTX appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Asia Morning Bites: Singapore Industrial Production and Global Market Updates

Christmas Is Perfect Time to Explain Bitcoin to Your Loved Ones

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 25.12.2020 12:08
Bitcoin (BTC) will definitely be a hot topic during family gatherings this Christmas and a great opportunity for bitcoin advocates to explain — again — the cryptocurrency’s advantages to their loved ones, given that BTC has exceeded $20,000. Describing what bitcoin is to people who have been used to the fiat system for many years can be difficult, but, at the same time, it can be fun. One of the most vivid examples of explaining bitcoin this year is surely when Harry Potter book series’ author, J.K. Rowling, asked her followers for a simple clarification of what the cryptocurrency was because she didn’t understand it. I don’t understand bitcoin. Please explain it to me.— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 15, 2020In an effort to provide an explanation for bitcoin, some industry players pointed Rowling to podcasts, books, and pop-culture bitcoin references. Others attempted to use themes from the Harry Potter world to explain the leading cryptocurrency, with Dovey Wan saying: “Voldemort splits soul for eternity, the bitcoin ledger is timeless by making millions of copies. Each copy tracks the same history of money flow that everyone has access to, like a public version of Marauder’s map. Opposite to Leprechaun gold, bitcoin dies only if the last copy is gone.” However, all attempts to explain the asset fell on deaf ears: What many people simply want to understand is whether bitcoin really works and why maximalists claim it’s better than traditional money. BeInCrypto reached out to some crypto industry players asking them to describe how they would explain bitcoin to those who want to get a better understanding of what the leading crypto is. Don’t use tech terms when explaining bitcoin Heiber Barreto Sanchez, CEO and editor at Morocotacoin, suggested that anyone who starts hearing words like hashrates, mining, blockchain, or power supply would run a mile: “I always tell [my friends] about the usefulness [of bitcoin], with examples of real use cases. I never talk to them about technology, the supply, or blockchain. It scares them, keeps them away.” Barreto shared that his friends asked him how to invest in bitcoin, and depending on their interest or need, he explained the crypto concept using as many analogies to what they already knew as possible: “Bitcoin allows you to make transactions in a few minutes and at a much lower cost than banks. It usually takes at least 24 hours for a bank to make an international transaction. In addition, when there is a national holiday in countries like Venezuela, for example, banks lock up your money for a period of time, but they still earn the interest by placing your money in financial instruments. This doesn’t happen to bitcoin.” Do you send remittances? Do it with bitcoin! For those who are abroad and want to send money to their relatives, Barreto explained that, with bitcoin, this task becomes much easier, faster, and safer compared to the traditional banking system — it can reach any part of the world, and especially help unbanked people. Barreto continued: “I’d say that bitcoin is better if you want to send money to countries like Argentina, because that country restricts the use of foreign currency, or Venezuela because the United States has imposed unilateral sanctions on the Venezuelan government.” Bitcoin protects your assets in the long term Jorge Farias, CEO of CryptoBuyer, one of the main platforms for buying and selling cryptocurrencies in Latin America, told BeInCrypto that, at this point, there is a lack of educational mechanisms to help future generations avoid thinking in terms of fiat money: “Mechanisms for people to understand the intrinsic value of bitcoin and not its price compared to other currencies are still missing. Satoshi didn’t create bitcoin mentioning its price in USD, EUR, or CNY. Once this is distributed through education, we’ll see a definitive adoption.” Farias added that if he had to introduce bitcoin to somebody at an informal dinner party, he would tell them about how many people spent large amounts of BTC at the beginning, without imagining that they would be millionaires in the near future if they had saved their coins and trusted the technology. “In 2010, a person bought two pizzas with 10,000 bitcoins. Today, he would be able to buy hundreds of pizzerias with what he spent. It costs nothing to try it and get started. Just by receiving bitcoin as one of the ways to pay for your products, services, or knowledge, you’re already entering this new digital economy.” Bitcoin is money… but much better Anibal Garrido, an entrepreneur, advisor and consultant in crypto finance, told BeInCrypto that despite many ways of presenting bitcoin to a person who “doesn’t know about its use and technological concept,” the first thing you could do is to show them the similarities bitcoin has with fiat money. “Bitcoin is also money, and therefore has the same properties as paper money. Besides being safe, it has the ability to never be confiscated by any state or government.” Regarding the usability of bitcoin compared to traditional money, Garrido explained that you don’t have to know in detail how bitcoin works to understand that it’s safer than fiat. He continued: “There is no difficulty in knowing in detail how a wallet works. There are already products with interfaces designed for this. The greatest difference between using crypto wallets and banking systems is that when using wallets there are no schedules, requirements, documents, or people in charge that limit and restrict the use of safe money like bitcoin.” In short, it’s just like a bank, but with no borders, no regulations, and with minimal transaction fees compared to any other provider. Bitcoin fights crime better than fiat does Javier Pastor Moreno, CSO of Spanish platform for buying and selling cryptocurrencies Bit2Me, said that when convincing a person to start using bitcoin, he would start by explaining the advantages it has as a new type of money compared to traditional ones. Pastor listed the following points: We don’t need a bank to receive, send, or keep bitcoin.We know in advance how many units there are.It’s protected by cryptography, and its issuance is based on mathematics.Transactions are immediate and with a practically non-existent cost.It works 24/7/365 and you can have it on any device connected to the internet.Pastor emphasized that, unlike fiat, bitcoin is secure and resistant “to censorship, being completely traceable and transparent.” Stevie Ghiassi, CEO and founder of Legaler and the Australian legal Technology Association (ALTA), told BeInCrypto that skepticism about bitcoin is natural, but if he had to explain the legal advantages of using bitcoin over fiat money to a family member, he would say: “People had been skeptical about paper money for hundreds of years before they started to trust it, so it’s nothing new. I’d tell them that the nature of bitcoin allows people to track payments, even if they do it 100 years in the future.” If, at the end of the day, your dinner party guests don’t find these arguments compelling, you can always say that although bitcoin has been volatile, it surged from $200 to over $20,000 in less than five years. The post Christmas Is Perfect Time to Explain Bitcoin to Your Loved Ones appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Asia Morning Bites: Singapore Industrial Production and Global Market Updates

Bitcoin Readies for Another Attempt at Making New Highs

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 25.12.2020 09:45
Bitcoin (BTC) has been consolidating just below its all-time high price over the past week. Bitcoin is expected to break out from the current resistance and reach a new all-time high in the process.   Possible Bitcoin Breakout On Dec. 25, the BTC price continued its consolidation just below the $23,950 resistance area, creating a bullish candlestick. While the RSI previously generated a bearish divergence (red line), it proceeded to invalidate it by generating a hidden bullish divergence after (blue line). The Stochastic oscillator has made a bullish cross, While the MACD is in the process of generating a lower momentum bar, it has not been confirmed yet. Therefore, technical indicators suggest that BTC is likely to break out. BTC Chart By TradingViewThe two-hour chart also supports this possibility. While BTC is very close to resistance, both the MACD and RSI support the continuation of the upward movement and the possible breakout. BTC Chart By TradingViewWave Count The wave count suggests that BTC is approaching the top of wave 5 (shown in blue below), and is currently in its fifth sub-wave (orange). The most likely target for the top of the move is found between $25,552-$26,438. The target is found by three different Fib extensions and projections: Projection of the length of waves 1-3 to 4 (blue) – $25,552 2.61 Fib extension of sub-wave 1 (orange) – $25,946 Projection of sub-wave 1 to 4 (black) – $26,348 Therefore, BTC is expected to reach a high inside this area. BTC Chart By TradingViewLower time-frames show that BTC is trading inside a sub-wave 4 triangle (shown in black). A decrease below $22,624 would invalidate this scenario. BTC Chart By TradingViewConclusion Bitcoin is expected to break out from its symmetrical triangle and proceed to reach a high near $26,000. A decrease below $22,624 would invalidate this scenario. For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post Bitcoin Readies for Another Attempt at Making New Highs appeared first on BeInCrypto.
California Leads the Way: New Climate Disclosure Laws Set the Standard for Sustainability Reporting

Mark Cuban Offers Bitcoin Discount on Mavericks Gear

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 24.12.2020 20:00
Bitcoin and Mavericks fans can get a discount on their sports gear. Mark Cuban is offering a $25 (not 25%) gift card for each $150 spent in Bitcoin (BTC) on Dallas Mavericks merchandise. A Bitcoin discount Want to spend your $BTC somewhere… Spend it with the Mavs and get a 25 percent discount for using Bitcoin !https://t.co/De7Y5f28s8— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) December 23, 2020Billionaire Mark Cuban surprised his followers with a tweet on Dec. 23, 2020. He offered a 25% Bitcoin discount on merchandise at Dallasmavs.shop. This site is the merchandise site of the basketball team he owns, the Dallas Mavericks. The deal is valid through Jan. 31, 2021, Blitz Weekly reported. The businessman and Shark Tank star used his popularity to sell his gear and give Bitcoin attention. But there is one slight mathematical problem with this 25% discount. The Dallas Mavericks’ shop offers a $25 gift card off $150 or more spent in Bitcoin. That type caused a discrepancy of 12.5%. The NBA team’s shop began accepting Bitcoin via payment service Bitpay, one of the largest crypto payment processors, a year and a half ago. Bitpay CEO Stephen Pair said that the collaboration with the Mavericks has been successful: “The Dallas Mavericks have been an outspoken advocate for Bitcoin, opening up opportunities for the team as it starts to accept Bitcoin for ticket sales and merchandise.” Sports get on board, Cuban jumps off The move to encourage Bitcoin purchases was a way to reach fans globally, Mark Cuban said. He believes using crypto will allow for seamless transactions internationally. In August 2019, the billionaire claimed that Bitcoin was similar to gold. Interestingly, Cuban was not always so bullish on Bitcoin. In late 2019, he called Bitcoin nothing more than a collectable. He faced backlash from the Crypto community because of this. At the time, he also said that Bitcoin was too confusing for the average person to use. But soon enough he changed his tune again. By April 2020, he was saying he’d rather invest in bananas than Bitcoin, causing the price to drop around 16%. But in a longer version of the statement he said supporting Bitcoin would be a “no-brainer” if it were easier to use. Indeed, he was making a bullish case for Bitcoin. Cuban had also criticized the drawn-out process of mailing COVID-19 stimulus checks. Perhaps crypto could provide a solution. On Dec. 17, 2020, after the BTC price new records, the investor doubled down on the idea that Bitcoin could not be a reliable currency. He did, however, say that the price will go up once demand outstrips supply. This recently came to fruition as institutional investors are buying BTC faster than it can be mined. Perhaps this spurred the BTC discount (or maybe it was just a publicity stunt). The world of sports is not a complete stranger to crypto. Some fantasy sports leagues are using crypto to track collectibles. Some even argue that cryptocurrencies could be used to combat fraud in sports merchandise and fantasy leagues. Regardless of the reasons behind Cuban’s push to offer BTC discounts, the retail industry could see more of these deals in the future as crypto becomes more popular. The post Mark Cuban Offers Bitcoin Discount on Mavericks Gear appeared first on BeInCrypto.
European Central Bank's Potential Minimum Reserve Increase Sparks Concerns

Grayscale Adds $3 Billion in Crypto to its AUM in One Week

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 24.12.2020 19:18
Grayscale, the largest digital asset manager, offers cryptocurrency based investment trusts for Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin. The company added an additional $3 billion in digital assets to its total AUM (assets under management). According to Jan Uytenhout, one of the co-founders of Capriole Investments, Grayscale has been busy. It added 12,000 new Bitcoin in one day to its Bitcoin Trust. This amount of Bitcoin cost almost $280 million according to current Bitcoin prices. It is 13 times higher than the amount of new Bitcoin mined in the day. Grayscale temporarily stopped accepting new clients, but it looks like their existing clients are still quite hungry for more…12k new bitcoin bought today. That is 13X the new supply today.https://t.co/TlnQpQjq6g pic.twitter.com/c2v1ZKt4DG— Jan Uytenhout (@uytjan) December 22, 2020Grayscale buying continues at all time highs Grayscale is a digital asset manager. It holds crypto on behalf of its investors, allowing them to gain exposure to the price fluctuation of the cryptocurrency. Most retail users would advocate for personally owning and controlling any cryptocurrency purchased. However, there are not many options for regulated investments into the cryptocurrency market. Grayscale solves this with its variety of cryptocurrency trusts. The company is amassing extremely large quantities of Bitcoin, Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies. Its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust currently retains over $14 billion and its Grayscale Ether Trust amassed almost $2 billion. Bitcoin recently beat its all time high prices after gaining over 300% in price this year. Despite this, many high net worth individuals are still investing into Bitcoin. MicroStrategy recently purchased $650 million worth of Bitcoin at prices exceeding $21,000 per Bitcoin. MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor stated that the company’s average buy price still hovers around $15,000 per Bitcoin. However, the firm’s willingness to raise debt to invest in Bitcoin shows it believes Bitcoin’s price will keep rising. MicroStrategy isn’t the only major corporation backing Bitcoin. PayPal, Mass Mutual, Square, and others are investing in or integrating blockchain technology into its organization. Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation 2020 is quickly coming to an end. It it will be a year that the world will remember for a long time. But the issues that arose with it will still be here. The spread of a global pandemic and increased worldwide economic uncertainty attracted many to Bitcoin’s potential as a safe haven. America alone, with multiple stimulus bills, drove many towards an asset that in their eyes, could provide some stability. As Michael Saylor recently tweeted, “Whenever someone questions our Bitcoin strategy, I always wonder what advice the critic would give to the 44 million people in Argentina”. Saylor followed this with a graph comparing the Bitcoin price to Argentina’s peso. Whenever someone questions our #Bitcoin Strategy, I always wonder what advice the critic would give to the 44 million people in Argentina. pic.twitter.com/q9kRV1rJNp— Michael Saylor (@michael_saylor) December 24, 2020 The post Grayscale Adds $3 Billion in Crypto to its AUM in One Week appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Will BNB Reach a New All-Time High Price?

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 24.12.2020 17:43
The Binance Coin (BNB) price has made several unsuccessful attempts at reaching a new all-time high over the past month. Lower time-frames show a possible reversal that would suggest BNB is likely to make another attempt.   Long-term support The weekly chart shows that BNB has been following an ascending support line since reaching a low of $6.38 in March. It has been consistently increasing above this support line, but has just begun to show its first signs of weakness. The weekly RSI has generated significant bearish divergence, the Stochastic Oscillator is in the process of making a bearish cross and the MACD has lost nearly all of its strength. Furthermore, BNB is approaching the all-time high resistance at $39.5. However, until BNB breaks down from the support line and the Stochastic Oscillator makes a bearish cross, we cannot consider the trend bearish. BNB Chart By TradingViewFuture movement The daily chart shows that since breaking out above the $27 resistance area, BNB has stayed above it the majority of the time. It validated the line as support numerous times. Therefore, as long as BNB trades above this level, the trend is considered bullish. If it breaks down, the next support area is at $21, the 0.5 Fib retracement of the entire move. BNB Chart By TradingViewThe shorter-term two-hour chart is bullish. It shows that BNB has created two long lower wicks inside the 0.5-0.618 Fib retracement area. This is a sign of buying pressure. Furthermore, both the RSI & the MACD have generated bullish divergence. This is a sign that it is likely to head higher, possibly making another attempt a creating a new all-time high. BNB Chart By TradingViewWave count Cryptocurrency trader @CryptoTony outlined a BNB chart. He stated that the short-term movement shows a bullish impulse which is likely to take BNB all the way to $41. Source: TwitterSince the tweet, the five wave impulse has been completed, along with what looks like an A-B-C corrective structure (both shown in black). If correct, we would expect the continuation of the upward move, since the C wave seems to be completed. A decrease below the beginning of the upward move (red line) at $26 would invalidate this possibility. BNB Chart By TradingViewConclusion To conclude, BNB is expected to reverse its bearish short-term trend and make another breakout attempt. A decrease below $26.60 would invalidate this possibility. For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post Will BNB Reach a New All-Time High Price? appeared first on BeInCrypto.
European Central Bank's Potential Minimum Reserve Increase Sparks Concerns

Ethereum Hits Highs in All but Price in 2020

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 24.12.2020 17:03
The founder of Mythos Capital, Ryan Sean Adams, pointed out on Twitter that “Everything on Ethereum hit ATH this year except price”. The cryptocurrency space grew tremendously in 2020. Perceptions changed dramatically on how blockchain, digital assets, and cryptocurrencies. Outside of Bitcoin, one of the biggest catalysts in the blockchain space is the colossal growth in decentralized finance (DeFi). In 2020, DeFi grew from less than $1 billion total value locked (TVL) to over $14 billion. With the majority of DeFi applications being built on the Ethereum network, this was a huge step to validate the usability of the platform for large scale, decentralized, financial applications. Mythos Capital founder Ryan Sean Adams pointed out on Twitter that “Everything on Ethereum hit ATH this year except price”. Adams goes on to detail exactly what all time highs (ATH) he was talking about. These include Ethereum block utilization, hashrate, ETH open interest, DeFi users, Total locked value, BTC on Ethereum (known as wrapped Bitcoin, or WBTC), ETH in Grayscale, stablecoins on Ethereum, and staked ETH. Notably, Adams includes a green check next to each milestone, and a large red X next to the last point, “ETH price”. Everything on Ethereum hit ATH this yr except price:Block Utilization Hashrate ETH open interest DeFi Users Total locked Value BTC on Ethereum ETH in Greyscale Stablecoins on Ethereum Staked ETHETH PricePrice is next.https://t.co/6OPsBbJ3ZY— Ryan Sean Adams – rsa.eth (@RyanSAdams) December 23, 2020A huge year For Ethereum Along with the massive growth of the DeFi sector, Ethereum changed fundamentally as it transitioned from ETH 1 to the ETH 2.0 Beacon Chain. Launched in early December, Ethereum 2.0 changes the network validation method from Proof-of-Work (PoW) to Proof-of-Stake (PoS). The upgrade will allow users to stake their ETH in order to validate the network. This is in contrast to dedicating large amounts of electricity and computing power to solve algorithms. Moreover, it will benefit Ethereum users by increasing transaction speed while also decreasing transaction costs. The ETH 2.0 staking contract has already received millions of Ether from users wanting to validate the network. This resulted in over 1.5 percent of the entire Ethereum supply being staked on ETH 2.0. There were many other landmark breakthroughs for Ethereum in 2020. Grayscale’s Ethereum Trust reached close to $2 billion in assets under management. Likewise, DeFi app production rose tremendously. But Ethereum, unlike Bitcoin, remains far away from its all time high price. Bitcoin saw mainstream institutional investment from a variety of firms in different industry sectors. Some firms invested over $1 billion in Bitcoin as an individual entity. Both users and institutions are looking to Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation amid global financial uncertainty. Bitcoin has been able to climb to new heights because of it. Ethereum has not breached its all time high price this year. However, surpassing every other possible milestone available is a strong sign of a healthy and growing network. The post Ethereum Hits Highs in All but Price in 2020 appeared first on BeInCrypto.
US Industry Shows Strength as Inflation Expectations Decline

MoneyGram Releases Statement Clarifying Ripple Relationship

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 24.12.2020 15:15
MoneyGram, a major international remittance money transfer service, has made an official statement regarding the recent SEC suit filed against Ripple. MoneyGram has a commercial agreement with Ripple dating back to June of last year. Although it makes no mention of ending the partnership, it felt the need to clarify what the partnership entails and how it utilizes products created by Ripple Labs. In the official press release, MoneyGram states that it does not use the ODL (on-demand liquidity) platform or RippleNet for any direct transfers of its customer’s funds. It continues: “MoneyGram has continued to utilize its other traditional FX trading counterparties throughout the term of the agreement with Ripple, and is not dependent on the Ripple platform to accomplish its FX trading needs.” MoneyGram also clarifies that it isn’t involved in the lawsuit between Ripple and the SEC in any way. The money transfer service finalizes the press briefing with potential risks and uncertainties that could affect its business. The SEC Files Charges Against Ripple                    On Wednesday, after several days of rumors, the SEC officially charged Ripple Labs and two of its executives. This includes co-founder Christian Larsen and CEO Brad Garlinghouse, who reportedly sold unregistered securities to the tune of $1.3 billion. Although the SEC previously stated that it views Bitcoin and Ethereum as currencies and not securities, the SEC does not view Ripple in the same way. Ripple executives believe otherwise. Of the many factors that led to this decision, a primary reason included Ripple Labs generating a significant amount of revenue through the sale of XRP. Ripple Labs also controls a majority stake in circulating XRP, owning 55%. MoneyGram Not Tied to XRP Token Ripple and XRP are by no means the first cryptocurrency projects the SEC has pursued for the sale of unregistered securities. It is, by far, the largest, though. XRP remains the fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, clocking in at over $12 billion. The asset has fallen by over 50% since the suit was announced. Elevated regulatory scrutiny around cryptocurrencies could continue to have substantial affects on the ecosystem and its related companies as a whole. The post MoneyGram Releases Statement Clarifying Ripple Relationship appeared first on BeInCrypto.
LINK’s Breakdown Suggests Long-Term Bullish Trend Might Have Ended

LINK’s Breakdown Suggests Long-Term Bullish Trend Might Have Ended

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 24.12.2020 14:00
The Chainlink (LINK) price has been falling since breaking down from a parallel channel on Dec. 17. The long-term bullish trend may have ended, and LINK will continue declining towards the support area at $5. Long-Term Trend LINK has been increasing mostly throughout its price history, beginning in 2017. In Jul. 2019, it reached a high of $4.90 before declining, followed by another unsuccessful breakout attempt in Feb. 2020. LINK finally broke out successfully in July and continued rallying at an accelerated rate until it reached a high of $20.71 in Aug. However, it has been moving downwards since. Technical indicators have turned bearish. The MACD is losing strength, the RSI has just crossed below 50, and the Stochastic Oscillator has made a bearish cross. Chart By TradingViewIf LINK continues falling, the closest long-term support area is at $5. Channel Breakdown The daily chart shows that LINK had been trading inside a parallel ascending channel since after reaching a low of $7.28 on Sept. 23. It broke down from the channel on Dec.8 and validated it as resistance afterward on Dec. 17 (shown with the red arrow). Since then, it has been moving downwards at an accelerated pace. On Dec. 23, LINK reached a low of $8.03 but subsequently rallied, leaving a lower wick with a magnitude of 26.66%. This caused it to remain above the minor $8.90 support area. Similar to the weekly time-frame, technical indicators are bearish, supporting the continuation of a downward move. Chart By TradingViewLINK’s Wave Count Cryptocurrency trader @TheEWguy outlined a LINK chart, stating that the trend is bullish. He expects new highs towards $27 and eventually $36. Source: TwitterSince the tweet, LINK has instead broken down and invalidated the bullish scenario. Therefore, the remaining possibility is that LINK is in a bearish A-B-C corrective structure (shown in orange below), which should end near $5. While the target found by making the A:C wave ratio 1:1 is at $4. the fact that the long-term support area is at $5 suggests that it could act as the bottom. The sub-wave count is given in black. LINK Chart By TradingViewConclusion To conclude, while short-term relief could occur, LINK should continue moving downwards towards the support area at $8.90, and possibly $5. For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post LINK’s Breakdown Suggests Long-Term Bullish Trend Might Have Ended appeared first on BeInCrypto.
California Leads the Way: New Climate Disclosure Laws Set the Standard for Sustainability Reporting

The President’s Working Group Ponders Stablecoin Regulation

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 24.12.2020 12:43
The United States President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, a group responsible for enhancing the “integrity, efficiency, orderliness, and competitiveness” of US financial markets, has issued a statement on the regulation of stablecoins. According to the working group, the new regulations specifically target stablecoins: “These requirements address a range of policy objectives, including safety and soundness, countering illicit finance, end-user protection, and market integrity. In particular, stablecoin arrangements with greater potential scale, complexity, and interconnectedness should consider.” Why is the Group Considering the Regulation? The document states that the group views stablecoins as a potential regulatory risk. The document states: “Depending on its design and other factors, a stablecoin may constitute a security, commodity, or derivative subject to the U.S. federal securities, commodity, and/or derivatives laws. If so, the federal securities laws,3 and/or the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”),4 would govern the stablecoin itself, transactions in, and/or participants involved in the stablecoin arrangement. Whether a stablecoin is a security, commodity, or derivative will depend on the relevant facts and circumstances.” All stablecoins won’t be considered securities or derivatives, but they may be depending on their makeup. This statement is significant given the members that make up the President’s Working Group of Financial Markets. They include the Secretary of the Treasury, the Chairperson of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, the Chairperson of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the Chairperson of the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC). One notable member is SEC Chairperson Jay Clayton, who, as head of the watchdog, was involved in the recent charges brought against Ripple. On Wednesday, the SEC filed a suit against Ripple and two of its top executives for conducting an unregistered sale of securities. The SEC states that they perceive XRP, the native currency of the Ripple network, to be a security and not a currency like bitcoin or ethereum. This classification means that Ripple, it’s co-founder, and current CEO are responsible for the sale of unregistered securities and will be held accountable. As the cryptocurrency market continues to mature, regulatory bodies will likely scrutinize cryptocurrencies with additional oversight. What is a Stablecoin? A stablecoin is a cryptocurrency directly pegged to an underlying asset, fixing its value as accurately as possible to that asset. Unlike other cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, stablecoins experience much less volatility. Volatility is dependent on the underlying asset. Most stablecoins are supposedly backed by fiat currencies such as the US dollar or precious metals like gold. With stablecoins, users get all the benefits of blockchain technology without the increased volatility and wild price swings. The post The President’s Working Group Ponders Stablecoin Regulation appeared first on BeInCrypto.
California Leads the Way: New Climate Disclosure Laws Set the Standard for Sustainability Reporting

Zilliqa (ZIL) Breaks Out and Nearly Doubles in Value

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 24.12.2020 09:56
Since breaking out at the end of November, the Zilliqa (ZIL) price proceeded to increase by nearly 150%. While Zilliqa has been rejected from the highs, it is expected to reverse its trend and resume its upward movement.   Zilliqa Long-Term Levels The weekly chart shows that ZIL has broken out above the $0.027 long-term resistance area near the end of November. Since then, ZIL has increased considerably to reach a high of $0.066. The next closest resistance area is found at $0.091 (0.382 Fib retracement level). Conversely, the support area is found at $0.027, This is both the breakout level and the 0.618 Fib retracement level (black) of the upward movement so far. Technical indicators are bullish, supporting the continuation of the upward move, especially considering the Stochastic oscillator has just made a bullish cross. The logarithmic chart is used in the chart below in order to better visualize large price fluctuations. ZIL Chart By TradingViewCurrent Movement Lower time-frames for ZIL show a significant bearish divergence in both the RSI and MACD during the aforementioned $0.0667 high. However, a significant drop has already occurred as a result of the divergence. ZIL Chart By TradingViewThe two-hour chart shows that ZIL is trading at support near $0.051. The next lower support is found at $0.046. While the MACD has turned negative, the RSI has generated a hidden bullish divergence. This suggests that ZIL is expected to reverse its trend soon and continue moving higher. ZIL Chart By TradingViewZIL Wave Count Cryptocurrency trader @CryptoTony_ outlined a ZIL chart, stating that it has begun an extended third wave in a bullish formation that could eventually take it to $1. Source: TwitterWhile it is possible that the count presented is correct, it seems more likely that the ongoing increase is wave 3 (shown in white below), instead of being sub-wave 1 of wave 3. The main reason for this is the similar lengths of time between waves 1 and 3, and also the fact that they have a 1:1.61 ratio. This ratio is very common in bullish impulses. Therefore, while ZIL is still expected to move upwards after completing wave 4, the high for the top of the move is likely to be closer to $0.115 rather than $1 as presented in the tweet. The sub-wave count is shown below in orange. ZIL Chart By TradingViewConclusion While Zilliqa is expected to bounce from the current support area, it’s likely still mired in a medium-term correction. For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post Zilliqa (ZIL) Breaks Out and Nearly Doubles in Value appeared first on BeInCrypto.
European Central Bank's Potential Minimum Reserve Increase Sparks Concerns

What’s Next for XRP and the SEC?

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 24.12.2020 09:21
Following one of the most anticipated airdrops in crypto history, XRP is under the scrutiny of the US federal government. With a plummeting price and exchange delistings, XRP is facing challenges like never before. On Dec. 22, 2020, Ripple announced they were expecting a lawsuit to be filed against them by the US government. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was to argue that XRP, Ripple’s token, was a security. Since Ripple sold their token without going through official channels, this meant XRP was sold illegally. Just a day later, the SEC officially charged Ripple of illegally raising $1.3 billion. But whether the lawsuit is valid are not hinges on the definition of XRP. The lawsuit says XRP fundraising was the illegal sale of a security. If XRP can be proven to be a currency —  as Ripple claims — rather than a security, then Ripple could be exonerated. While the surprise announcement made XRP’s value plummet, there were warning signs. Came out of somewhere Ripple Labs officials had been warning of possible friction with US regulators for a while. In fact, on Dec. 3, 2020, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse appeared on CNN and stated that XRP’s regulatory status was not clear. At the time, Garlinghouse expressed concern about the company’s ability to operate in the US. However, he added that only 5 per cent of Ripple customers are located in the US. XRP/USDT 3 Month View On TradingviewOther major cryptocurrencies, such as ether (ETH) and bitcoin (BTC), have been explicitly labeled as not being securities by the SEC. XRP, which Ripple says will be used for large financial transactions, could easily be considered a currency as well. Until the lawsuit became public knowledge, there was no reason to say for sure the SEC would try to designate XRP in this manner. But it did. As a result of this announcement, the price of XRP plummeted 36 per cent in one day to $0.27, at the time of writing. Recent highs had been around $0.79. The SEC has charged @Ripple with conducting an unregistered security sale. Due to this, #Beaxy has halted trading for XRP pending further news. $XRP withdrawals will remain enabled until further notice. pic.twitter.com/lVVqXJPdPP— Beaxy Exchange (@BeaxyExchange) December 22, 2020Dumping, delisting, and ghosting The price drop was fueled by fleeing institutional and retail investors. Bitwise, a crypto hedge fund that holds the top ten crypto assets, completely sold off their XRP in favor of other, unnamed assets. Before the dump, XRP made up 3.8 per cent of Bitwise’s portfolio. The Fund does not invest in assets that are reasonably likely to be deemed securities under federal or state securities laws. Bitwise’s decision to liquidate its position in XRP was based on consideration of new public information from the SEC’s complaint— frxresearch (@frxresearch) December 23, 2020Besides Twitter users running around like headless chickens, there were also the delistings. A number of crypto exchanges delisted XRP in fear of facing scrutiny from the US government. Suspicions flare up The view of many crypto enthusiasts that XRP had “sold out” to centralized banks fueled suspicion about the timing of this announcement. Some feel that announcing after the Spark token airdrop but before the SEC went public was manipulation. The fact that Ripple knew about the lawsuit early sparked suspicion that the company was holding back the announcement until after Dec. 11, 2020. That date saw a snapshot of XRP wallets for the Flare Network token drop. Why would y'all take advice about this, $XRP dumpppped again on the investors, that owner of $ripple knew he was being sued after the airdrop and all time high this year HE SOLDm don't go e shitty advice on a scam project. Two days before Christmas they start all this shit show— EDDITINGLIFE (@EDDIETINGLIFE) December 23, 2020Interestingly, there are claims that Jed McCaleb, Ripple co-founder, moved $49 million worth of XRP (133,152,655) before the worst of the price dump. After leaving XRP, the former programmer went on to become CTO of Stellar, a competing crypto asset. Stellar received 100 million XRP in a lawsuit with Ripple and the exchange Bitstamp. In this case, the funds were moved from the settlement wallet to a personal wallet purportedly owned by McCaleb. The movement of these funds suggested a large sale, and this has fueled further accusations of XRP being a “scam” by frustrated users. I told it from the beginning biggest scam in the crypto space!— Will (@Will20891034) December 23, 2020On the other hand, some believe that XRP is clearly a currency. Announcing the lawsuit before the SEC made it public may have been a machination by Ripple. In theory, going public would force the US government to define a security in a way that their legal team could fight: No! Brad is a gatdamn GENIUS! He is forcing the SEC's hand to give him "CLARITY!"…a ruling; and he know's (we all know) what the ruling has to be! #XRPISACURRENCY The IMF, FinCen, BIS, World Bank, The Fed, Central Banks and all countries using it have all agreed its a currency.— Torchy Burns XRP Borg (@TorchyBurns1) December 22, 2020What’s next for XRP? It is hard to say what’s next for XRP, but history has seen similar situations that did not end in disaster. The lawsuit could be costly, but with crypto-friendly politicians in congress, it could get dropped. Meanwhile, Jay Clayton, whose tenure saw the rejection of all crypto ETF applications, has resigned form his position as head of the SEC. President-elect Biden’s administration could shake up policy. On a similar note, some initial coin offerings (ICOs) faced legal trouble, lost their cases, but still landed on their feet. The Tezos Foundation faced a lawsuit this year, in which investors said the ICO was an unlicensed security sale. Tezos settled the suit for $25 million in damages, and the court did not rule whether the asset was a security or not. Though a painful blow, the current Tezos market cap is about $1.5 billion and is apparently not hurting that much. Likewise, in August 2019, messaging app Kik was accused of holding an unauthorized securities sale. In October 2020, the courts finally ruled that the tokens were indeed securities. They fined Kik a mere $5 million. Even if Ripple loses their case, they could continue to operate outside of the US. They do not face such restrictions elsewhere, and if five per cent of customers lie in the US, then this is apparently not the end of Ripple Labs as we know it. In the end, there are haters and there are evangelists. But if XRP gets out of this alive in the future, it may be trading at a discount right now. They committed fraud, and from an ethical perspective they indeniably dumped on their users and paid CEX to list them. Crypto would be a lot cleaner and healthier without such frauds taking so much space.— Edouard (@Edouard60851393) December 23, 2020The post What’s Next for XRP and the SEC? appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Active Bitcoin Addresses Have More than Doubled During Rollercoaster 2020

Active Bitcoin Addresses Have More than Doubled During Rollercoaster 2020

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 24.12.2020 09:10
According to Coin Metrics, a cryptocurrency market and data analysis firm, the number of active Bitcoin addresses has increased by a whopping 105% in 2020. While many have celebrated Bitcoin increasing threefold in price this year, other important metrics have gone mostly unnoticed. Aggregated in Coin Metric’s “State of the Network 2020” report, this growth in price has revealed a similar trend in exposure and usage. Active Bitcoin wallets have more than doubled, a metric that exhibits continued adoption by users. This amount of new addresses in use can indicate that new users are getting involved, as returning Bitcoin buyers do not necessarily need to create a new address. Bitcoin Perfect Storm 2020 has been a difficult year globally. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused massive economic uncertainty, inflation, and other problems. Following the 2008 financial crisis, Satoshi Nakomoto created Bitcoin so that governments would no longer have singular control over the monetary system. Perhaps a year like 2020 highlights why this is important. There are a variety of factors that have helped solidify Bitcoin as a store and transfer of value, as well as a hedge against inflation. One example is the massive amount of money printed by the US government. The US dollar is the world’s reserve currency, meaning many central banks all over the world hold the US dollar as part of their reserves. Due to economic uncertainty, increased spending, and other factors, the Federal Reserve has been on a dollar printing spree, printing over one-third of all US dollars that have ever been in existence in 2020. Some companies that hold US dollars as a majority of their reserves took notice and decided it was time to take action and diversify into other assets. With Bitcoin’s pre determined supply and amount of coins in circulation, many users, both retail and institutional, have started to view Bitcoin as a more mainstream hedge against inflation. Traditionally, firms would invest in precious metals or real estate to hedge against inflation, but Bitcoin has many principles that can make it a superior store of value in many respects. Positive Correlation Bitcoin was designed to act this way, with characteristics of money like durability, portability, divisibility, uniformity, and limited incorporation to make Bitcoin a more sound currency than its fiat contemporaries. It is undeniable that Bitcoin’s drastic price increase has a major impact on the number of users creating and using their new Bitcoin wallet, but the fact that so many new addresses were created points to more widespread adoption. Although it’s possible to make one-off wallet addresses to anonymize holdings, many users are probably creating and using these wallets for the first time. This is a strong signal of Bitcoin’s fundamental growth. The post Active Bitcoin Addresses Have More than Doubled During Rollercoaster 2020 appeared first on BeInCrypto.
California Leads the Way: New Climate Disclosure Laws Set the Standard for Sustainability Reporting

Bitcoin Creates Double Top After Second Failed Attempt at $24,000

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 24.12.2020 07:27
The Bitcoin (BTC) price made another all-time high breakout attempt on Dec. 23 but was rejected and has been decreasing since.   However, technical indicators are not all that bearish. Bitcoin is expected to reverse its trend at one of the support levels examined below. Bitcoin Trend Weakens Slightly Yesterday, the BTC price reached a high of $24,100 in another attempt at reaching a new all-time high. However, the higher prices could not be sustained. BTC was swiftly rejected and proceeded to drop back to $22,600.  Technical indicators have begun to show early signs of weakness, but are not close to confirming a bearish trend.  The MACD is in the process of creating the first lower momentum bar in nine days, but the daily candle has yet to close. The RSI has generated a bearish divergence and has begun to fall. It may end up invalidating this with a hidden bullish divergence depending on the daily close. The Stochastic oscillator is still bullish and increasing. BTC Chart By TradingView Short-Term Movement Lower time-frames show that BTC has broken down from an ascending support line and validated it as resistance after. In addition, it’s also facing resistance from the minor $23,950 area. Technical indicators in the six-hour time-frame are turning bearish but the RSI is still above 50. BTC Chart By TradingView Tthe two-hour time-frame gives two support levels at $22,400 and $21,800. Indicators show that the price movement is more akin to consolidation than it is to the beginning of a new downward trend.  Therefore, BTC is expected to find support at one of these two levels and begin to move upwards again. BTC Chart By TradingView BTC Wave Count The most likely wave count suggests that BTC is in wave 4, which is expected to end near $21,675 (0.382 Fib retracement level). The reason for the shallow correction is the principle of alternation after the deep retracement in wave 2. BTC Chart By TradingView The sub-wave count for the possible wave 4 is shown in black in the chart below. A parallel channel connecting the highs and lows gives a very similar target, strengthening the possibility that BTC will reach a low near $21,675. BTC Chart By TradingView Conclusion The Bitcoin (BTC) price is expected to reach a low near $21,675 and begin to move upwards after. For BeInCrypto’s previous Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post Bitcoin Creates Double Top After Second Failed Attempt at $24,000 appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Boosting Stimulus: A Look at Recent Developments and Market Impact

SEC Extends Olive Branch to Broker-Dealers Handling Digital Assets

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 23.12.2020 20:50
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released a statement on Wednesday requesting comment on the custody of digital assets by special purpose broker-dealers. The move appears to be a response to the official charges recently brought on Ripple executives. The SEC, according to the statement, seeks to “encourage innovation” regarding digital asset securities. The Commission will reportedly grant a grace period of five years to broker-dealers who have handled digital asset securities: “…a broker-dealer operating under the circumstances set forth in the statement will not be subject to a Commission enforcement action…” Several crypto exchanges have rushed to delist XRP in the US. And notable hedge fund, Bitwise, has already liquidated all of its XRP (3% of the fund) and moved into other crypto assets. SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce said the announcement was a baby step, but others called the move “1 step forward, 12 steps back.” New guidance on custody of digital asset securities. Baby steps: https://t.co/o8TcKMlDGp pic.twitter.com/7qzDXl49uv— Hester Peirce (@HesterPeirce) December 23, 2020Ripple to SEC: We Saw It Coming Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse staunchly criticized the uncertain regulatory landscape back in October. Garlinghouse even hinted that Ripple could relocate to a more favorable jurisdiction outside of the US. While the SEC did not specifically name any companies in the release, some onlookers speculate that the timing is not coincidental. Is the SEC trying to mitigate the effects of its lawsuit with Ripple? An additional quote from an official supplementary document reads: “The Commission envisions broker-dealers performing the full set of broker-dealer functions with respect to digital asset securities – including maintaining custody of these assets – in a manner that addresses the unique attributes of digital asset securities and minimizes risk to investors and other market participants.” XRP Tanks on the Day The wordy release continues to raise questions regarding the lack of regulatory clarity in the country. The Commission appears stuck between an innovation rock and a protective hard place: “…the Commission is requesting comment to provide the Commission and its staff with an opportunity to gain additional insight into the evolving standards and best practices with respect to custody of digital asset securities.” XRP continued to receive heavy offers heading into the late US afternoon (ET). And investors returned to the relative safety of US dollars. At the time of writing, the token was down some 40% to $0.27 per unit. XRP heavily sold against the US dollar following the SEC charges | Source: TradingView What is perhaps clear, however, is as the issuer of XRP, Ripple likely won’t escape the clutches of the heavy-handed US regulator. Those who custody its token, at least for the moment, may breathe a sigh of relief. The post SEC Extends Olive Branch to Broker-Dealers Handling Digital Assets appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Former White House Director of Communications Launches Bitcoin Fund

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 23.12.2020 18:01
Anthony Scaramucci, former White House Director of Communications and founder of the $9 billion fund SkyBridge Capital, has announced that he will be launching a Bitcoin-based fund. According to Scaramucci, the fund will target wealthy investors and give them the opportunity to gain Bitcoin exposure with a low fee product offering. A major differentiator between the SkyBridge fund and other funds such as Grayscale’s Bitcoin fund is the minimized fees. SkyBridge will charge customers a 0.75% fee to Grayscale’s 2% annual fee, a 60%+ discount. SkyBridge recently filed its Form D notice with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to form its new SkyBridge Bitcoin Fund L.P. The firm seeded the fund with a $25 million capital injection and will open it up for private investment at the beginning of January 2021. The minimum investment for the new fund will be $50,000. Boom!Skybridge Capital is doubling down on Bitcoin.They just registered the Skybridge Bitcoin Fund with the SEC, one month after allowing two of their other funds to invest in Bitcoin. pic.twitter.com/MmFMnbVot5— Kevin Rooke (@kerooke) December 21, 2020Scaramucci sees Bitcoin as a digital store and transfer of value and a parallel investment to physical gold. Scaramucci explains: “We think there’s a very large move for Bitcoin over the next five to ten years. We think it’s a product that people will have in their portfolios, and we wanted to get out there with something that could be available to RIAs, the mass affluent, and people who have an interest in owning some digital assets.” Increased Interest in Bitcoin Amongst the Wealthy Bitcoin has seen massive price growth this year. And some of the increased interest is likely due to wealthy and institutional investors. One example is MicroStrategy’s CEO Michael Saylor, who personally bought hundreds of millions worth of BTC. He also purchased over $1 billion in BTC for MicroStrategy’s reserve treasury. Another high profile name, Shaan Puri, the Director of the streaming platform Twitch, boldly claimed that he had moved 25% of his wealth into the alpha coin. Although onlookers don’t know how much that 25% stake bought, estimates suggest it wasn’t a small amount of money. It appears that many wealthy institutional investors view Bitcoin as a viable hedge against inflation. With Bitcoin’s pre-determined minting schedule and capped circulation of 21 million coins, some even believe the digital asset is a safer hedge against inflation than gold. Will other market participants follow this institutional lead and delegate a small portion of their portfolio to Bitcoin? The post Former White House Director of Communications Launches Bitcoin Fund appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Bitwise Ditches XRP Investment Amid Uncertain Token Legality

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 23.12.2020 16:17
Institutional XRP bagholders are abandoning ship as the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) comes after the Ripple hierarchy for selling unregistered securities. Bitwise Ditches Altcoin #2 According to a press release issued on Dec. 23, Bitwise Asset Management — a crypto hedge fund — has exited its XRP investment position. Following the move, XRP is no longer a part of its Bitwise 10 Crypto Index Fund. As part of the press statement, Bitwise revealed that its XRP holdings before the sale accounted for 3.8% of the Fund. The company also revealed that the proceeds from the XRP liquidation had been reinvested into other assets. Commenting on the reason for liquidation, the company commented: “The Bitwise 10 Crypto Index Fund does not invest in assets that are reasonably likely to be deemed securities under federal or state securities laws. Bitwise’s decision to liquidate its position in XRP was based on consideration of new public information from the SEC’s complaint.” As previously reported by BeInCrypto, the SEC lodged a complaint against Ripple for selling XRP as unregistered securities to the tune of $1.3 billion. The probe comes after years of speculation about whether the Commission would classify the token as a security. Back in October, Ripple announced that it was considering a move outside of the US due to the lack of regulatory clarity in the country. Earlier in December, the company revealed that only 5% of its customers were located Stateside. XRP Decline Continues XRP/BTC Price Chart from TradingView The negative sentiment occasioned by Ripple’s recent events is also causing significant downward pressure on XRP price action. Indeed, as of press time, the fourth-largest crypto by market capitalization is down over 25% against bitcoin (BTC). With XRP plummeting and bitcoin attempting another assault at the $24,000 price mark, BTC’s market cap dominance could reach 70% for the first time since Mar. 2017. Some see dominance based on market capitalization as a flawed metric. However, as BTC reclaims the 70% dominance mark, charts suggest that an altcoin run may not be on the cards anytime soon. The post Bitwise Ditches XRP Investment Amid Uncertain Token Legality appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Asia Morning Bites: Trade Data from Australia, Taiwan Inflation, and US Fed Minutes Highlighted

Crypto Exchanges Rush to Delist XRP Following SEC Charges

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 23.12.2020 15:33
Several cryptocurrency exchanges have started delisting XRP. The actions follow charges brought about by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against Ripple for selling its token as an unregistered security. XRP has plunged since the charges came to light. The former third-ranked cryptocurrency by market cap dropped from around $0.52 on Monday to around $0.33 at the time of writing. Please note: In light of US Securities & Exchange Commission’s enforcement action against Ripple Labs & 2 of its executives, we have suspended all #XRP payment in and trading services on the OSL platform, effective immediately and until further notice.https://t.co/EXJJEHMawn— OSL (@osldotcom) December 23, 2020Cryptocurrency Exchanges Ditch XRP As BeInCrypto reported earlier Wednesday, the SEC has officially charged Ripple executives with selling an unregistered security. The US watchdog alleges that the company and its executives sold more than $1.3 billion worth of the digital currency unlawfully. According to an SEC press release, Ripple and CEO Brad Garlinghouse, and co-founder, Chris Larsen failed to register the ongoing sales. Meanwhile, the executives contend that XRP is a currency and not an investment contract. If the SEC does deem XRP to be a security, the judgment will likely impact unregistered exchanges offering the cryptocurrency. Current regulations demand that all companies selling securities must register with the agency. Accordingly, several US-based trading venues have started to remove XRP from their platforms. So far, OSL, Beaxy, and CrossTower all announced a sudden removal or suspension in XRP trading: The SEC has charged @Ripple with conducting an unregistered security sale. Due to this, #Beaxy has halted trading for XRP pending further news. $XRP withdrawals will remain enabled until further notice. pic.twitter.com/lVVqXJPdPP— Beaxy Exchange (@BeaxyExchange) December 22, 2020More exchanges and companies could also announce similar policies ahead of the lawsuit’s eventual outcome. YouTuber and industry analyst Alex Saunders stated that exchanges and the financial services industry that Ripple’s business model revolves around ‘won’t dare to touch’ XRP until there is some clarity on its legal status. Indeed, Bitwise Asset Management announced on Dec. 23 that it had liquidated its own position in XRP. According to a press release, the fund had a 3.8% allocation to XRP. It has reinvested the funds in other portfolio assets. XRP Price Plunges on SEC News If the SEC wins the pending lawsuit, the outcome won’t only impact the legality of Ripple and other companies selling XRP. It could also limit the digital asset’s supposed use case. Understandably, the news has had a negative impact on the price. Ripple first announced that it expected an SEC lawsuit on Monday. At the time, XRP traded at around $0.52. In the days following, the XRP price has dropped by around 36%. At the time of writing, the cryptocurrency trades around $0.33 per unit. In terms of market cap, XRP plunged by around $9 billion over the same period. The drop meant it lost its position as the third-largest digital asset in terms of total market size. A Threat to the Wider Industry? As evidenced by Kik’s Kin token lawsuit, the SEC has been slowly going after companies it believes to have sold cryptocurrencies unlawfully. However, Ripple’s XRP is by far the largest target to date. Such actions raise questions about other projects in the industry. While the SEC has previously stated that dominant coins Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) are not securities, the same cannot be said for every project. The 2017/18 initial coin offering boom saw many new projects raise money through token sales. A significant number of those selling tokens to US investors will likely satisfy the Howey Test, which the SEC uses to determine if an asset is a security. The post Crypto Exchanges Rush to Delist XRP Following SEC Charges appeared first on BeInCrypto.
California Leads the Way: New Climate Disclosure Laws Set the Standard for Sustainability Reporting

Ethereum 2.0 Validators Are Making 3.2% Compounded Yearly Interest

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 23.12.2020 14:38
The Ethereum 2.0 Beacon Chain launched in December, and network validators are making a tidy sum securing the network. So far, a significant portion of the total Ethereum supply is locked in the deposit contract. According to Flipside Crypto, a business intelligence firm for blockchain organizations, validators are earning 0.002792 Ether per day. That’s approximately $1.69, according to the current price of Ether. #Ethereum 2.0 Validators currently earn 0.002792 $ETH per day, or $1.71 at the time of writing. pic.twitter.com/5qwzRmVZJa— Flipside Crypto (@flipsidecrypto) December 21, 2020Crunching the Numbers To qualify for a validator node, a user must stake 32 ETH in the staking contract. So if we assume the node has 32 ETH and is receiving 0.002792 Ether per day as its reward, the node is generating  0.008725% daily interest. When compounded across a year, the annual return rate equals approximately 3.2% for each node (holding 32 ETH minimum). Celsius, a lending platform that combines centralized and decentralized loans, currently offers a 5.5% yearly interest rate on ETH. The platform offers a 7.21% rate if you agree to receive your interest in its native CEL cryptocurrency. At the current rate, if a user lends 32 ETH on Celsius rather than the Ethereum 2.0 chain, the user would theoretically make an additional 0.736 ETH, worth $445 at the current Ether price. In addition, Ethereum 2.0 users will not be able to access their staked funds until phase 2 of the migration occurs. This could take an additional two years, according to MyEtherWallet CEO Kosala Hemachandra. What is Ethereum 2.0? Ethereum 2.0 is the launch of a structurally different chain from the original protocol. Originally, Ethereum used Proof-of-Work (PoW), similar to Bitcoin, to verify transactions. With ETH 2.0, Ethereum has moved to a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) verification method that allows users to secure the network without advanced computing hardware. With PoW, users need to dedicate computing power to validate transactions. In the case of PoS, users have to stake their currency on the platform for validation. Users who falsely validate will face a penalty. The user can lose a portion or more of their initial stake. Pro Ethereum pundits argue that PoS verification is a step in the right direction for the project and its co-founder Vitalik Buterin. This new verification mechanism intends to make transactions faster and ultimately cheaper for the end-user. The post Ethereum 2.0 Validators Are Making 3.2% Compounded Yearly Interest appeared first on BeInCrypto.
BTCD Reaches Its Highest Levels Since 2019

BTCD Reaches Its Highest Levels Since 2019

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 23.12.2020 13:30
The Bitcoin Dominance Rate (BTCD) has broken out from a long-term resistance line and is aiming to reach a long-term resistance area near 71%. While the long-term trend seems bullish, a short-term rejection and correction is likely once BTCD reaches this resistance area. Long-Term Breakout During the week of Dec. 14 – 21, BTCD broke out from a descending resistance line that had previously been in place since Aug. 2019. BTCD continued its ascent this week and is heading towards the closest resistance area at 71%. BTCD has not traded above this area since Sept 2019, the high of the descending resistance line. The closest support area is at 62.5%. Technical indicators are bullish, supporting the possibility that the upward move continues. This is especially noticeable since the MACD has just crossed above the 0 line while the RSI is in the process of moving above 70. A breakout above the 71% resistance area could trigger an even sharper upward movement due to the lack of overhead resistance. BTCD Chart By TradingViewCryptocurrency trader @Mesawine1 outlined a BTCD chart, stating that while it’s currently at a strong resistance level, a breakout above could trigger a very sharp continuation move. However, he believes that BTCD will decline instead. While the long-term indicators are bullish, as seen above, traders should look at lower time-frames to determine where BTCD will head next. Source: TwitterCurrent Movement The daily chart for BTCD shows an ascending support line that has held since the beginning of Sept. Currently, BTCD is considerably above this line, suggesting that the move is overextended. A retracement back to validate this line is, therefore, possible. However, similar to the weekly time-frame, technical indicators are bullish, supporting the continuation of the upward move. BTCD Chart By TradingViewThe first sign of an unsustainable rally comes from the two-hour chart, which shows a parabolic ascending support line. Once the parabola breaks, a sharp drop is likely. This would also fit with the previously mentioned possibility of validating the ascending support line since the 0.5 – 0.618 Fib retracement levels at 64 – 65% coincide with this. BTCD Chart By TradingViewConclusion To conclude: the long-term trend for BTCD looks bullish, making an eventual breakout above the long-term 71% resistance area a strong possibility. However, the short-term parabola is unsustainable. Therefore, a short-term corrective movement is expected before another attempt to break out. For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post BTCD Reaches Its Highest Levels Since 2019 appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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XRP Crashes Back to $0.30 Amid 30% Daily Drop

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 23.12.2020 11:30
XRP has decreased by nearly 50% since reaching a 2020 high of $0.79 on Nov. 24. Despite the drop, XRP is approaching crucial support levels which are likely to provide a bounce and possibly reverse the bearish trend.   XRP Long-Term Movement At the time XRP was making its 2020 high, the main long-term resistance level was found at $0.75 and there was support at $0.50. However, XRP has broken down from the support and is rapidly approaching the $0.32 long-term support area. XRP initially broke out from this level at the beginning of November. Technical indicators are leaning on being bearish. The RSI has fallen sharply, the MACD is in the process of generating its first lower momentum bar, and the Stochastic oscillator has just made a bearish cross. XRP Chart By TradingViewSupport Levels The daily chart shows that XRP has been following a very long-term ascending support line since reaching its lows in March. In addition, there are two important support areas at $0.325 and $0.29. The ascending support line coincides with the $0.29 support. Similar to the weekly time-frame, there are no bullish reversal signs present. XRP Chart By TradingViewWhile the two-hour chart shows some bullish divergence in the RSI, the MACD is rapidly decreasing. Therefore, while XRP is approaching numerous strong support levels, there are no bullish reversal signs yet. XRP Chart By TradingViewWave Count Cryptocurrency trader @thetradinghubb outlined an XRP chart, stating that it will likely decrease towards the low $0.30s before moving back up. Source: TwitterThe most likely wave count suggests that it has completed wave 1 (shown in white) which began with the lows in March. The sub-wave count is shown in orange. Currently, the price is at the 0.618 Fib retracement level, a likely place for the downward move to end. This scenario is also strengthened by the numerous support levels just below the current price. XRP Chart By TradingViewFurthermore, the sub-wave count for the possible corrective wave 2 suggests that the correction is nearing its end. This is due to the 1:1 ratio found between waves 1 and 2. XRP Chart By TradingViewConclusion The XRP price is expected to reverse its trend soon and eventually make an attempt at breaking out above the $0.50 area. While it is still likely that the long-term trend is bullish, that cannot be confirmed until it breaks out above $0.50. For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post XRP Crashes Back to $0.30 Amid 30% Daily Drop appeared first on BeInCrypto.
US Industry Shows Strength as Inflation Expectations Decline

SEC Officially Charges Ripple Executives for Unregistered Securities Sale

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 23.12.2020 10:39
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has officially announced that it will be seeking charges against Ripple Labs Inc, its co-founder and ex-CEO Christian Larsen, and current CEO Brad Garlinghouse. The news comes after recent rumors that the SEC was preparing to file these charges, something Garlinghouse felt was unjust. The SEC is accusing Ripple and associated parties of raising over $1.3 billion in funds through the sale of  ‘ongoing digital asset securities offerings.’ In addition to going after Ripple Labs Inc. for the funding of the organization through sales of unregistered securities, the SEC is also going after two of the top Ripple Executives. Coming directly from the official SEC press release, the release states; “According to the complaint, in addition to structuring and promoting the XRP sales used to finance the company’s business, Larsen and Garlinghouse also effected personal unregistered sales of XRP totaling approximately $600 million.”  The press release continued, with Stephanie Avakian, the Director of the SEC’s Enforcement Division, commenting, “We allege that Ripple, Larsen, and Garlinghouse failed to register their ongoing offer and sale of billions of XRP to retail investors, which deprived potential purchasers of adequate disclosures about XRP and Ripple’s business.” SEC on the Hunt The SEC has had previous success going after cryptocurrency companies for the sale of unregistered securities. Such examples include the Telegram TON token, Salt Blockchain, BitClave, and BCOT. The regulator is now setting its sights on the fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, XRP. Since rumors started spreading yesterday about the preparation of a suit against Ripple, XRP has seen a 25% decrease in price. Garlinghouse has stated that he believes XRP is a currency, not a security. He likened the token to Bitcoin and Ethereum, but the SEC feels different. If XRP is deemed a security, it will likely impose further regulatory restrictions and fines. What is Ripple and XRP? XRP is a cryptocurrency created by Ripple Labs to serve as the native cryptocurrency for its payment processing platform. Ripple advertises faster and lower-cost transactions compared to traditional payment processors. Essentially, XRP is trying to compete against Bitcoin and Ethereum as a store and transfer of value, but are working on framing its platform as one that is being adopted into traditional financial institutions. For example, international banking conglomerate Santander has partnered with Ripple to develop one of its payment services for international payments, but this service could just have easily been developed on a variety of blockchain platforms that are less centralized. Ripple currently owns 55% of the circulating XRP supply, and this is after the $1.3 billion raised from sales of XRP. The post SEC Officially Charges Ripple Executives for Unregistered Securities Sale appeared first on BeInCrypto.
European Central Bank's Potential Minimum Reserve Increase Sparks Concerns

Bitcoin Rejected After Bounce Back to $24,000

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 23.12.2020 09:27
Bitcoin (BTC) bounced on Dec. 22 and regained almost the entirety of its losses from the previous dip. While the most likely scenario is that the trend is still bullish, BTC has not yet confirmed this.   Bitcoin Bounces from Range Lows On Dec. 22, BTC bounced from the range lows and regained the majority of its losses from the past two days. BTC reached a high of $24,050 before decreasing slightly. In response to the previous decrease, yesterday’s candlestick is bullish engulfing. Technical indicators in the daily time-frame are still bullish despite the bearish divergence developing in the RSI. The Stochastic oscillator is moving upwards and the MACD has yet to make one lower momentum bar. BTC Chart By TradingViewFuture Movement The two-hour chart shows that BTC has broken down from an ascending support line and validated as resistance after. This movement also validated the $23,900 area as a minor resistance level. Technical indicators are still bullish, but not by much. The RSI is risking falling below 50 and the MACD below 0. If this were to happen, it would likely mean that the short-term trend is bearish. BTC Chart By TradingViewThe same thing is visible in the slightly higher six-hour time-frame. The RSI is following a descending resistance line and the MACD has almost turned negative. Therefore, BTC needs to clear the $23,950 area in order to be considered bullish. BTC Chart By TradingViewWave Count Yesterday’s bounce nearly confirmed the possibility that the previous low was a fourth wave pullback. BTC appears to have now begun sub-wave 5 (black), which completes a larger wave 3 (orange). If correct, the move would be expected to end near $26,000. BTC Chart By TradingViewHowever, an alternative count suggests that BTC has completed wave 3 and has now begun its correction inside wave 4. As stated in BeInCrypto’s Bitcoin analysis from Dec. 22:  “Even in this case, we would expect wave 4 to be shallow and swift due to the principle of alternation.” Therefore, BTC would be expected to reach a low near $21,600, with a possible low deviation to $20,800. In any case, a decrease below the wave 1 high of $19,918 (red line) would invalidate both bullish counts. BTC Chart By TradingViewThe issue with the bullish count is that wave 4 has crossed into wave 1 territory, hence invalidating that this is a bullish impulse. It may be possible that BTC is following a 1-2/1-2 wave count. However, a breakdown from the ascending support line at $23,000 would invalidate this scenario. BTC Chart By TradingViewIn that case, the increase is likely an A-B-C corrective structure (shown in red) which completes a larger B wave (black). A correction would be expected to follow. This correction could take BTC back to the $21,600 area as outlined above. BTC Chart By TradingViewConclusion While the longer-term BTC trend is still bullish, it is currently unclear if Bitcoin has finished its short-term correction or if there is one more low remaining. Reclaiming the $23,900 area would suggest that the short-term correction is done and BTC is heading towards $26,000. The loss of $23,000 would likely indicate that BTC is heading back to the $20,800-$21,600 range. For BeInCrypto’s previous Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post Bitcoin Rejected After Bounce Back to $24,000 appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Latest Yam Finance DeFi Offering Features Ethereum Gas Futures

Latest Yam Finance DeFi Offering Features Ethereum Gas Futures

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 23.12.2020 08:42
The latest yield farming incentive from Yam Finance, dubbed ‘uGas,’ allows for synthetic futures contracts on Ethereum gas prices. Yam Finance, in partnership with UMA, has launched something called ‘Degenerative Finance.’ Its first offering is uGas, a synthetic futures contract that settles to the 30-day median Ethereum gas price at the end of each month. The offering is the first in a collaborative effort between Yam Finance and UMA. The pair has plans to develop a suite of innovative derivatives targeting ‘DeFi degens.’ We are excited to officially launch our collaboration with @UMAprotocol: Degenerative Finance.You can now access #uGas via https://t.co/ofKfg8wvd2, including the newly launched February and March futures.To learn how uGas works, check out our explainer https://t.co/cVTo4Bjjd9— Yam Finance (@YamFinance) December 23, 2020Stepping on the Gas The new uGas tokens can be minted by depositing Ethereum as collateral. They are named after the month that they expire, for example, uGAS-JAN21 expires on Feb. 1. Upon expiry, the token will settle at the median gas price of all Ethereum transactions for the past 30 days. According to BitInfoCharts, the current median gas fee is $1.47 though the actual gas price at the moment is much higher. “Each uGAS token represents 1,000,000 GAS, so if the median gas price over the 30 days before expiry was 70 Gwei, the uGAS token would be worth 0.07 ETH.” The Yam Finance blog post goes on to explain that the synthetic tokens are not priced as farmers initially mint at the Global Collateralization Ratio (GCR.) This ratio is calculated by dividing the total amount of collateral deposited by the total number of uGAS tokens outstanding. uGAS tokens can also be used in the Uniswap uGAS/ETH liquidity pool in order to earn UMA liquidity provider rewards. The mining rewards are managed by the Yam community and the distribution structure is as follows; 10% goes into the Yam Finance treasury, 40% for dApp mining on the Degenerative Finance app, and the remaining 50% goes into liquidity mining rewards for users. In mid-November, Yam Finance launched a new protection protocol called Umbrella, which offers pool-based security against smart contract exploits and hacks. YAM and UMA Price Update The Yam Finance native token, YAM v2, has dropped nearly seven percent on the day in a fall to $5.01. Like most of its DeFi brethren, prices spiked when the protocol was launched in early September, but have since dumped almost 90% to current levels. UMA’s token has tanked 6% on the day, dropping back to $8.43 as the broader crypto market takes a beating. UMA also surged to an all-time high in early September and, in a similar pattern, has declined 67% from that peak. The post Latest Yam Finance DeFi Offering Features Ethereum Gas Futures appeared first on BeInCrypto.
US Industry Shows Strength as Inflation Expectations Decline

A Christmas Gift for Ledger Users – Death Threats

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 23.12.2020 07:58
A wave of attacks aimed at Ledger hardware wallet owners is coming to light. Unfortunately, this offensive has not been limited to a few phishing emails — some customers are reporting ransom attempts and even death threats. Ledger customers could be facing a miserable Christmas this year as a wave of attacks targeting them intensifies. These developments are following the massive data breach that involved the leaking of 270,000 Ledger customer emails, phone numbers, and physical addresses. As reported by BeInCrypto, there has been an increased threat of SIM swapping, and some are already reporting to have been attacked; @ledger is hacked, and the next day I have my sim hacked! WTF. Its currently happening. No service on my phone, they got into authenticator app and are requesting password changes to several sites including @coinbase. #crypto Not even sure what to do.— JimboChewdip (@jimbochewdip) December 22, 2020Once an attacker has access to the victim’s phone, they are able to change passwords and access any 2FA security measures. Ultimately, this can lead to the bad actor stealing the entire contents of the hardware wallet. Ledger Customers Report Death Threats For some, the attacks have been even worse. According to a Reddit post, one victim was called and physically threatened by the attacker who knew that he owned a Ledger device. “He demanded 10 XMR and said if it’s not sent by midnight, he will show up at my house, kidnap me, and ‘stab to death’ any relatives living at my address,” Bravo @Ledger pic.twitter.com/DiQ1FTJJ1S— CR1337 (@cryptonator1337) December 22, 2020Others have had emails from attackers revealing their address and threatening physical violence if a ransom is not paid. Casa HODL founder Jameson Lopp, who has been a victim of a house attack himself, stated; “A lot of people are rightfully upset with Ledger for leaking their personal data. These people should also be upset with themselves for leaking their personal data to Ledger in the first place.” Efforts to play down the incident from the company have not gone unnoticed as memes such as these flood crypto social media; Protect your private keys with hardware. pic.twitter.com/t1PzfWnLeA— Jameson Lopp (@lopp) December 21, 2020All the company has managed was a feeble warning and advice to contact local authorities; There has been a new wave of phishing attacks taking place since yesterday, threatening our users physically.Never pay ransom in any way!If you fear for your physical safety and believe you are in danger, make sure you contact your local authorities right away.— Ledger (@Ledger) December 22, 2020Those wondering if their email address has been leaked can visit HaveIBeenPwned to check. Passing the Buck BeInCrypto reported that Ledger CEO Pascal Gauthier was still on the defensive, appearing on the latest ‘What Bitcoin Did’ Podcast. Gauthier maintained that the hack does not affect the hardware, only people’s personal information. He has also said that there will be no reimbursement because “it would just kill the company.” This is of no consolation whatsoever to people that are getting threatened with murder or have already had their cryptocurrencies drained from their wallets. A potential class-action lawsuit against the company is already gathering momentum. Customers from around the globe are reporting their own tales of woe following the massive data leak. The post A Christmas Gift for Ledger Users – Death Threats appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Institutional Buyers Creating ‘Bitcoin Shortage’ and Driving Price: Pantera Capital CEO

Institutional Buyers Creating ‘Bitcoin Shortage’ and Driving Price: Pantera Capital CEO

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 23.12.2020 06:30
The CEO of Pantera Capital believes that a ‘Bitcoin shortage’ is driving recent price action. Dan Morehead claims that interest from major institutions is causing BTC to get bought up quicker than it can be mined. Morehead added that the price move that took BTC above $20,000 is entirely different from the one that took the leading digital asset to its prior all-time high back in 2017. The ‘Bitcoin Shortage’ The fourth quarter of 2020 has seen a clear return of bullish sentiment to the Bitcoin market. Trading at around $10,300 on Sept. 22, the Bitcoin price has increased dramatically over the past three months. The leading digital currency reached a new all-time high at the beginning of December and since Dec. 16, BTC hasn’t dipped below $22,000. Appearing on CNBC on Tuesday, Pantera Capital’s Dan Morehead attributed the price-performance to a ‘Bitcoin shortage’. PayPal and other massive companies are buying Bitcoin faster than miners can create it, and this has apparently caused the ‘price to squeeze up.’ There's a "bitcoin shortage" due to big institutional buyers like Paypal purchasing more than 100% of newly-created currency, cryptocurrency expert Dan Morehead says. https://t.co/qtI233fzM0 pic.twitter.com/H8mPoScAAh— CNBC (@CNBC) December 22, 2020As BeInCrypto reported previously, a number of major companies have been buying huge quantities of Bitcoin in recent weeks. Some firms, like PayPal and Grayscale, are buying Bitcoin to provide exposure to the crypto asset to their users. Meanwhile, other firms like Square and MicroStrategy have added Bitcoin to their treasury reserves. Those doing so frequently cite growing macroeconomic uncertainty as driving the decision. Similarly, a number of the planet’s most famous investors, including Paul Tudor Jones, have turned bullish on Bitcoin this year. Perhaps more surprising are the likes of JPMorgan and Citibank, which now advocate a BTC allocation. With major buying pressure coming from public companies, large endowments, and macro investors, Morehead reasons that the current rally is very different from that which culminated in 2017. He says that price reached the former all-time high on speculation alone. Now, those driving the price are buying it on a five-to-20 year time horizon. Risk Versus Utility Despite the shortage of Bitcoin available, Morehead does acknowledge some risks. When asked about potentially bearish developments, such as the SEC actions against Ripple, the Ledger data breach, and a potential clampdown on non-custodial wallets, he replied: “It’s very, very early days for a brand new asset class so there’s going to be volatility on both sides.” However, the Pantera CEO says that the media is less likely to report on the growing numbers of people around the world that find BTC useful. He adds that it’s this growing adoption that’s driving the price in the face of perceived risk. Morehead mentioned both those choosing to store wealth in Bitcoin, as well as international remittance as being important use cases. Ultimately, he says, when the price was around $200 six years ago, around a million people were using the network. Today, the price is above $20,000 and more than one hundred million people find BTC useful. The post Institutional Buyers Creating ‘Bitcoin Shortage’ and Driving Price: Pantera Capital CEO appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Environmental Groups Seek Injunction Against NY Bitcoin Miner

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 22.12.2020 20:48
The Finger Lakes Region of New York State is famous for its outdoor activities, boating, and even wine. But environmental activists are now facing a new challenge: Bitcoin miners. Exclusive Sierra Club This December, three environmental groups and a set of individuals are trying to keep Greenidge Generation from building four new structures for additional Bitcoin mining. Richard Lippes, a Buffalo, NY attorney, filed an Article 78 with the State Supreme Court seeking an injunction to halt construction of the buildings. The appeal was done on behalf of the organizations, which include the Sierra Club and the Seneca Lake Guardian. The Seneca Lake Guardian Seal According to Lippes’ document, the Connecticut-based Greenidge Generation and local officials violated the State Environmental Quality Review process when examining the application for construction. In a nutshell, critics say the construction passed approval too hastily. The justification hinged on a “hard look” that officials needed to take when considering the environment impacts of a project. The petitioners also say that the new buildings would increase heating and cooling into Seneca lake, which could cause natural imbalances in algae and fish populations. That’s not to mention the potential noise nuisance. The Other Side of the (Bit)Coin Meanwhile Greenidge Generation is one of many companies that is seeking to bring business back to American soil. Besides the economic interests of keeping Bitcoin mining in America, some believe that China is developing a monopoly. With up to 70% of mining on Chinese soil, these pundits argue the People’s Republic of China (PRC) government could seize mining operations across the country and perform a 51% attack. Mike Colyer, CEO of Foundry, a company that invests in domestic mining, said he believes mining will increase by 25% in the United States in the coming years. Bitcoin Energy A strange road led this power company to the Bitcoin mining business. Greenidge Generation operated the local coal power plant for decades. The plant changed hands a few times and in 2011, the firm decommissioned it because of environmental inefficiency and cost. Greenide Generation’s Landing Page Then, Atlas Holdings, LLC (based in Greenwich, CT) acquired it in 2014. At this time, the plant was made more energy efficient and converted to natural gas. The addition of a pipeline to bring gas to the site left the owners looking for opportunities to offset costs. Greenidge says that in 2019 the potential for server hosting onsite became apparent. And in January 2020, they added Bitcoin mining services. Since then, it has decided to expand that profitable venture. Naturally, a power plant is likely to get a bargain on the power needed to run such an operation. But the new expansion method has set locals off. The municipality’s planning board approved the construction as an “unlisted action.” This allowed them to skip an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Article 78 seeks an appeal on the grounds that the EIS shouldn’t have been skipped. Though this is an intriguing technicality, officials say they already have all the official permits, and the legal mechanism to re-evaluate the environmental impact.           As mining shifts borders and crypto regulations mature, miners too are facing the same level of scrutiny. The post Environmental Groups Seek Injunction Against NY Bitcoin Miner appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Ledger CEO Gauthier Goes on the Defensive After Major Data Breach

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 22.12.2020 19:28
Ledger CEO Pascal Gauthier spoke with Peter McCormack on the ‘What Bitcoin Did’ podcast to discuss the recent data dump that affected customers. Gauthier began the podcast apologetically, stating that the firm is doing everything it can to correct the situation. He believes that the data breach doesn’t affect the Ledger hardware in any capacity but instead users’ personal information. WBD290 – Pascal Gauthier (@_pgauthier) explains what happened with the Ledger hack. We discuss:– How the attack happened– What to do if you are affected– The consequences of the breach– The company response– Ledger liabilityhttps://t.co/kTWr3iXQ9I pic.twitter.com/jfNgmkq9E6— What Bitcoin Did (@WhatBitcoinDid) December 22, 2020After explaining how the hack took place, Gauthier reassured podcast listeners that Ledger is doing its best to be as transparent as possible. He says that relevant information is available via the Ledger website. In the high profile hack, Ledger suffered a massive data breach. Due to this hack, the personal data of over 277,000 Ledger customers have now been leaked online. This includes personal information such as customer names, physical addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers. According to Twitter user Alex Krüger (@krugermacro), an economist and trader with over 55,000 followers, anyone who purchased a Ledger wallet before July 2020 most likely had their personal information exposed. What’s Next for Ledger? Ledger announced the data dump on Twitter and said that “it is a massive understatement to say we sincerely regret this situation.” It further explained that the company is taking major precautions including the hiring of a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). It is also executing tests with external security firms, and working with law enforcement. Several affected Ledger customers are nevertheless threatening to file a class-action lawsuit against the company. Security Precautions for Users If you have purchased a hardware wallet such as the Ledger Nano S or Ledger Nano X or previously signed up for the newsletter, it’s highly likely that at least some of your information has been compromised. Krüger provided more advice on the situation, urging Ledger owners: “If your data was compromised, make sure you are not using your number for 2FA anywhere. Change to a VoIP or GA.” The personal data of 272,000 Ledger buyers has been leaked. If your data was compromised, make sure you are not using your number for 2FA anywhere. Change to a VoIP number, or GA. Alternatively, contact @haseeb a bitcoin OG whose company provides protection against sim swapping.— Alex Krüger (@krugermacro) December 21, 2020Krüger outlined some of the realities of personal cryptocurrency thefts. Digital theft is not what most imagine. He ends with a cartoon showing an ‘imaginary’ hack, where thieves try to develop an advanced computer program to hack your wallet versus a much more realistic crypto theft. In the real theft, there are no genius hackers, but desperate men with big wrenches that will beat you senseless until you give them the password. Though it’s rare, malicious actors could theoretically track down known crypto users. If you are one of the affected users in the latest data dump, there are a number of security precautions that are worth exploring. The post Ledger CEO Gauthier Goes on the Defensive After Major Data Breach appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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ALGO Targets Higher Prices After Reclaiming Support

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 22.12.2020 18:05
The Algorand (ALGO) price has been moving upwards after reclaiming a support area at the beginning of Nov. ALGO should continue increasing towards the resistance area at $0.43. Trading Range On Nov. 4, ALGO reached a low of $0.224, the lowest price since the beginning of Jul. It began an upward move shortly afterward, culminating in a high of $0.421 on Nov. 25. Since then, ALGO has been trading between support and resistance at $0.26 and $0.43, respectively, currently sitting in the middle of the range. Technical indicators are bullish, supporting the possibility that ALGO will break out above the resistance area. If it is successful, the next resistance area would be at $0.52. Chart By TradingViewCryptocurrency trader @i9theghost5 tweeted an ALGO chart, stating that it could increase by 100% over the next few weeks. While this is possible, it still has to break out above the $0.43 area first and move upwards at an accelerated pace. Source: TwitterShort-Term Movement The short-term chart shows that ALGO has bounced at the minor support area of $0.32, the 0.618 Fib retracement level of the entire upward move. The bounce was significant and technical indicators have turned bullish, supporting a continuation of the upward move. Chart By TradingViewFurthermore, the shorter-term 30-minute chart shows a breakout from a descending resistance line and a reclaim of the minor $0.34 resistance area, supporting the possibility of upwards continuation. ALGO Chart By TradingViewALGO/BTC The ALGO/BTC chart shows a breakdown from the long-term 2250 satoshi support level, an area which had previously held since Oct 2019. Afterward, ALGO validated this area as resistance on Nov. 2020 (shown with the red arrow below) before declining again. Despite the bearish price action, technical indicators are bullish, suggesting that another breakout attempt is likely. The three-day RSI has generated bullish divergence, the MACD is moving upwards, and the Stochastic Oscillator has just made a bullish cross. Therefore, the price is likely to make another breakout attempt. However, at the current time, we cannot determine if it will be successful. ALGO Chart By TradingViewConclusion To conclude, while ALGO is likely to move towards the $0.43 resistance area, we cannot confidently predict a breakout at the current time. Similarly, ALGO/BTC is expected to re-test the 2250 satoshi resistance area, but the possibility of a breakout is currently uncertain. For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post ALGO Targets Higher Prices After Reclaiming Support appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Bitcoin History Suggests Multiple All-Time High Breaks on the Horizon

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 22.12.2020 16:21
In a world where all-time highs attack in all kinds of ways, only one cryptocurrency can keep going up it seems: Bitcoin (BTC). This is the story of a cryptocurrency that just keeps getting more expensive. Out of the 129 times BTC hit an ATH in 2013 and 2017, 97 instances were followed by a positive week. That is 72%! Compared to 56% for any random week since 2013.Even longer term this works: 2 month return was positive 80% of the times after ath, compared to 59% in general.— Jan Uytenhout (@uytjan) December 22, 2020A Bullish History for BTC Well, it appears to be Bitcoin season again. Those who held out from the top near $20,000 in 2017 are finally being rewarded with higher prices. While a few bitcoin hodlers have taken profit, others claim that the fundamentals and the short-term capital gains taxes keep them hodling. There are NO silly questions. Ask away. If you hold bitcoin for less than a year, then the gain is taxed at your normal tax rate. If you hold for over a year, then the gain is taxed at your long term capital gains tax rate.— Pi Prime Pi (@PiPrimePi) October 14, 2020And while a few others feel that the crypto beast has run out of steam, bullish predictors keep piling up. The momentum could just be good news. 100% #bitcoin profit taken. Time to plan next trade.Did you take profit?— Bitcoin Astrology (@Bitcoin_Astro) December 17, 2020Almost all bitcoin traders made a profit in December after BTC finally touched $20,000. Yet that didn’t stop it from smashing through to $23,000 and then $24,000 on Dec 19, 2020.  Interestingly, this multiple all-time high (ATH) phenomenon has been a pattern for BTC. Algorithmic trader Jan Uytenhout pointed out on Twitter how often BTC breaks multiple ATHs once it breaches the first. He explained how in 2013, BTC hit all-time highs 59 different ways before a pullback. In 2017, it did it in 70 different ways. But the bullish nature of just smashing through records is not the only thing to suggest BTC has a ways to go. Uytenhout explained how the week following an all-time-high had been positive 97 out of 129 times since 2013. (This is 72% vs. 56% for any random week).  And for those who are willing to hold, things get better. The two-month return after an all-time high was positive 80% of the time. If history repeats itself, BTC statistically has (a lot) more room for growth.  On-Chain Data While bitcoin has found temporary support around $23,000, on-chain data also suggests a bullish future.  Source: Glassnode According to a Glassnode Insights blog post, “Reserve Risk” is low, despite the massive price increase. A Reserve Risk is considered low when the price is relatively low, and confidence is relatively high. Since the fundamentals of Bitcoin appear to outweigh the price in this instance, it is considered bullish. Source: Glassnode The firm also looked at Bitcoin’s Difficulty Ribbon. This is a metric used by statistician Willy Woo that Glassnode says is a reliable medium-term indicator. The metric uses moving hash rate averages to predict price. After some contradictions, the ribbon is now showing a bullish pattern for the next three months. Even though bitcoin’s price is just so damn high, historically, it seems that all-time highs have just become all-time highers! The market has been strong and fundamental news continues to flow in. It may seem like bitcoin has some legs to stand on. But if there’s one thing that’s for certain, expect some volatile times ahead. The post Bitcoin History Suggests Multiple All-Time High Breaks on the Horizon appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Riot Blockchain Purchases 15,000 Miners, Expanding Total Hash Rate

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 22.12.2020 15:28
Riot Blockchain, an American-based cryptocurrency mining firm, has committed to purchasing 15,000 additional Antminers from Bitmain, the notorious mining hardware producer. Riot announced that they’ve purchased 3,000 S19 Pro Antminers and 12,000 S19j Pro Antminers for $35 million from Bitmain. These versions are some of the highest hash-producing mining hardware available on the market, producing 110 terahashes (TH) and 100 TH, respectively. A hash is a numerical representation of calculating the computing of hardware and its ability to solve an algorithm, essentially a unit of speed. A terahash is 1,000,000,000,000 times larger than a hash, revealing the massive computational power these specialized mining machines are now able to achieve. Riot to Expand Hash Rate By 65% Riot Blockchain expects the acquisition to increase its Bitcoin mining hash rate capacity by 65%. The firm will deploy the miners in May 2021. According to the official announcement, Riot’s estimated hashing rate will increase from 2.3 EH/s (exahashes per second) to 3.8 EH/s. If you were wondering how large an exahash is, it’s one quintillion or  1,000,000,000,000,000 times larger than a single hash. Riot Blockchain CEO, Jeff McGonegal, expressed his satisfaction with the acquisition, stating: “Continued growth in deployed miners is paramount to a miner’s success. Expanding the Company’s bitcoin mining hash rate and operating on a cost-effective basis is very important, particularly during periods when the bitcoin spot price has appreciably increased. We are pleased to have secured this latest purchase, especially given that the available supply of mining hardware continues to become increasingly scarce.” Riot is a publicly-traded cryptocurrency mining firm listed on the NASDAQ with an $800 million market capitalization. What Is Cryptocurrency Mining? Cryptocurrency mining is the process of completing an algorithm via computational power to validate the legitimacy of a block of transactions. The successful validator receives a reward in the native cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin rely on this Proof-of-Work (PoW) validation mechanism. Originally, the Bitcoin network had few mining participants. It, therefore, required less mining power to mine BTC profitably. Over time as additional miners have joined and the mining reward has declined, the process requires more demanding computational power. The post Riot Blockchain Purchases 15,000 Miners, Expanding Total Hash Rate appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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DOGE Breaks Out and Targets $0.0055

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 22.12.2020 13:46
The Dogecoin (DOGE) price has broken out from a long-term resistance level and validated it as support afterwards. DOGE should continue increasing and break out from the resistance area outlined in the article. Similarly, DOGE/BTC has reached a crucial long-term support area from which a bounce is likely. Breakout and Retest The weekly chart shows that DOGE has been moving upwards since March. While it initially struggled to move above the $0.0035 resistance area, it successfully broke out during the week of Dec 14 – 21. It also reached its highest weekly close since Oct 2018. Technical indicators are bullish since all three of the RSI, MACD, and Stochastic Oscillators are increasing. The latter is very close to forming a bullish cross. If the upward move continues, the next resistance area is at $0.0068. Chart By TradingViewThe daily chart provides a similar outlook. DOGE has broken out from and validated the $0.0043 area. However, the long upper wick from yesterday simultaneously validated the $0.0055 area as resistance. Technical indicators are similarly bullish, despite the bearish divergence in the RSI. The MACD is increasing, and the Stochastic Oscillator has almost made a bullish cross. Therefore, it’s likely to attempt another breakout above the $0.0055 resistance area before possibly moving higher to $0.0068. Chart By TradingViewDOGE/BTC Cryptocurrency trader @CryptoMichNL outlined a DOGE chart, stating that it has reached a crucial support level where a bounce is likely. Targets for the bounce include 69, 91, and 109 satoshis. Source: TwitterThe support is at 17 satoshis and has been in place since the beginning of 2017. DOGE has been trading inside this over the past two months, forming significant bullish divergence up to the three-day RSI. Furthermore, the MACD shows a bullish reversal sign, and the Stochastic Oscillator has just made a bullish cross. Therefore, DOGE should continue rallying towards the next closest resistance areas at 35 satoshis and possibly 50 satoshis. DOGE Chart By TradingViewConclusion To conclude, DOGE could make another attempt to break out above the $0.0055 resistance area and, if successful, move towards $0.0068. DOGE/BTC is also likely to bounce from the current support area and move towards 35 and possibly 50 satoshis. For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post DOGE Breaks Out and Targets $0.0055 appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Coinbase Responds to FinCEN on Rushed Digital Asset Regulatory Proposal

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 22.12.2020 12:49
Coinbase, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, was recently given a notice by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of new regulations entitled “Requirements for Certain Transactions Involving Convertible Virtual Currency or Digital Assets.” This rule would require additional reporting and record-keeping requirements, something that would require significant changes and adaption on Coinbase’s end. FinCEN only gave Coinbase 15 days to reply to with a comment, significantly shorter than what Coinbase views as the industry standard. Coinbase Responds Written and emailed directly to the Director of FinCEN, Kenneth Blanco, the Coinbase response states; “FinCEN asked the public to provide comments in just 15 days, spanning Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day, in the middle of a global pandemic — leaving just a handful of actual working days for comments. Because we have historically enjoyed and valued a productive working relationship with FinCEN, this recent development is an unfortunate and disappointing departure. […] We, therefore, ask that FinCEN reconsider its haste and provide the typical 60-day period for such significant proposed rulemaking.” Coinbase has gone right to the top and requested an extension four times the length it was initially given. At this time, it’s not clear why FinCEN offered Coinbase just 15 days to respond, especially during the busy holiday season. Inconvenient Timing Representatives stated that the three pages of questions asked by FinCEN cannot be answered in this short of a time period. Coinbase claims that it needs the standard 60 days to consult with other industry leaders as well as take the time to thoroughly analyze and report back. These potential new regulations come at an unfavorable time for the exchange, especially considering that it’s getting ready to launch its IPO in early 2021. Once the IPO commences, Coinbase will be the first cryptocurrency exchange to be listed for public trading on the stock exchange. The post Coinbase Responds to FinCEN on Rushed Digital Asset Regulatory Proposal appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Monero (XMR) Falls Back but Holds on Above Crucial Support

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 22.12.2020 11:30
Monero (XMR) has been struggling to regain its bullish momentum since reaching a high on Dec. 19. However, the decrease only served to validate the breakout level and Monero is expected to move upwards once more.   Monero Long-Term Movement The weekly chart shows that XMR is trading between major support and resistance levels of $133-$166, created by the 0.382-0.5 Fib retracement levels of the most recent downward move. XMR was rejected on Dec. 17 after reaching a high of $179. The downward movement that followed appears to be a re-test of the breakout level rather than the beginning of a new downward trend. While the weekly RSI has generated some bearish divergence, it has not fallen considerably yet. Furthermore, neither the MACD nor RSI have turned bearish. As long as XMR does not reach a close below the breakout level of $133, it is expected to continue moving upwards and eventually break out above $166. If it does, the next significant resistance area would be found at $199, but XMR has the realistic potential to increase all the way to $308. XMR Chart By TradingViewCryptocurrency trader @sbravonqn outlined an XMR chart and stated that if it breaks out above the current level it’s likely to increase at an accelerated rate. Source: TwitterDaily XMR Movement The daily chart also shows a resistance/support flip of the $140 area, which was validated yesterday in the form of a long lower wick.  Furthermore, there is hidden bullish divergence in the RSI, a sign that an upward movement is expected. On the other hand, the MACD is decreasing and the Stochastic oscillator is very close to making a bearish cross, providing mixed signals. XMR Chart By TradingViewThe six-hour chart shows that XMR is also following an ascending support line. Even though there is a lack of sufficient bullish reversal signs, the numerous support levels just below the current price make it likely that XMR will bounce. XMR Chart By TradingViewWave Count The wave count suggests that XMR has completed waves 1 and 2 (shown in white) of a bullish impulse that began in March. It has now likely begun wave 3. A preliminary target for the top of wave 3 is found at $305, which would give waves 1:3 a 1:1.61 ratio — a common pattern in bullish impulses. XMR Chart By TradingViewA closer look at the movement reveals that XMR has likely created a 1-2/1-2 wave formation, and is currently in an extended sub-wave 3 (orange). The minor sub-wave count is shown in black. A possible target for the top of sub-wave 1 is found at $238. A decrease below the sub-wave 1 low (red line) at $127 would invalidate this particular wave count. XMR Chart By TradingViewXMR/BTC The XMR/BTC price is trading just above a crucial support level at ₿0.0065. It has not traded below this level since it first broke out on Aug. 16. Despite this, there are no reversal signs. On the contrary, the RSI has fallen below 50, the MACD has fallen below 0, and the Stochastic oscillator has just made a bearish cross. Therefore, it is possible that XMR will break down below this support area instead of bouncing, which could trigger a very sharp drop. XMR Chart By TradingViewConclusion Monero (XMR) is expected to bounce at the current support area and resume its upward movement toward the range of $268-$305. A decrease below $127 would invalidate this scenario. For BeInCrypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post Monero (XMR) Falls Back but Holds on Above Crucial Support appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Ripple Expecting XRP Security Lawsuit from the SEC

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 22.12.2020 10:24
Ripple, the firm behind the XRP digital currency, is expecting to face a lawsuit by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for what it sees as an unlawful sale of a security. The SEC is claiming that XRP is categorized as a security, so therefore the sale of XRP to its American investors should be viewed as the selling of unregistered securities. XRP Security Debate The CEO of Ripple, Brad Garlinghouse, disputes this claim by the SEC and thinks that XRP should not be categorized as a security in a similar manner to how Bitcoin and Ethereum are viewed by the SEC. This potential news has already had a big impact on the price of XRP, which is down over 17 percent following the news of the potential lawsuit. Garlinghouse is adamantly against the filing of this lawsuit, stating, “No other country has classified XRP as a security. The SEC has permitted XRP to function as a currency for over eight years, and we question the motivation for bringing this action just days before the change in administration. Instead of providing a clear regulatory framework for crypto in the U.S., (SEC Chairman) Jay Clayton inexplicably decided to sue Ripple — leaving the actual legal work to the next Administration.” Garlinghouse has made it clear that he views XRP as a currency in the same way as Bitcoin or Ethereum, but the SEC is arguing that XRP is actually a security. If XRP is deemed a security, it will add a lot of regulatory restrictions that are unwelcome by the community. Ripple currently owns over half the supply of available XRP, and also uses the sale of XRP as a quarterly revenue stream. This is a much different approach than what is seen by the Bitcoin and Ethereum development teams. Vitalik Fires Shots Vitalik Buterin, the founder of Ethereum, took direct shots at the Ripple team after the announcement of the seemingly looming lawsuit, stating that the Ripple team is “sinking to new levels of strangeness” and that XRP is a “sh*tcoin.” Buterin continued to berate Ripple and XRP, mockingly calling out the team for stating that Bitcoin and Ethereum are “Chinese controlled” and therefore XRP should also qualify as a currency. Looks like the Ripple/XRP team is sinking to new levels of strangeness. They're claiming that their shitcoin should not be called a security for *public policy reasons*, namely because Bitcoin and Ethereum are "Chinese-controlled". https://t.co/ts02JqrTrB pic.twitter.com/mKwEzGIetk— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) December 22, 2020The post Ripple Expecting XRP Security Lawsuit from the SEC appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Bitcoin (BTC) Dips Below $23,000 Searching for a Bounce

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 22.12.2020 09:34
The Bitcoin (BTC) price decreased considerably on Dec. 21, and at one point reached a daily low of $21,815. However, the bullish structure is still intact and Bitcoin is expected to move higher unless the invalidation levels outlined below are broken.   Ongoing Bitcoin Dips Yesterday, the BTC price decreased considerably from its high of $24,102 and proceeded to reach a low of $21,815. The candlestick for BTC has long wicks on each side, a sign of indecision stemming from both buying and selling pressure. The movements of related technical indicators are also ambiguous. The RSI has just fallen below 70 (shown with the red arrow below), a sign of a potential trend reversal. However, the MACD has yet to make a lower momentum bar and the Stochastic oscillator is in the process of making a bullish cross. BTC Chart By TradingViewReversal Potential The six-hour chart shows that despite a drop below it, BTC has managed to hold above the minor $22,300 support area. This is also the 0.382 Fib retracement level of the most recent increase. BTC created a long lower wick below this level, nearly touching the 0.5 Fib retracement at $21,686, but proceeded to reach a close above. The MACD has lost its strength and the RSI is decreasing, but the latter is still above 50 and the former is above 0. BTC Chart By TradingViewThe two-hour chart also gives a relatively neutral view. The RSI has decreased below 50 and has not generated any bullish divergence and the MACD is consistently moving downwards. BTC Chart By TradingViewBTC Wave Count The most likely count suggests that BTC is in sub-wave 5 (black) of wave 3 (orange), which is expected to end between $25,871 and $26,006.  Considering this scenario, yesterday’s decrease looks very much like a fourth wave pullback, after which an upward move to complete sub-wave 5 is expected. A decrease below yesterday’s low of $21,864 would likely cause a breakdown from the parallel channel and invalidate this scenario. BTC Chart By TradingViewThe alternate count suggests that wave 3 has been completed and that BTC is now correcting inside wave 4. Even in this case, we would expect wave 4 to be shallow and swift due to the principle of alternation. Since wave 2 was long, taking more than twice the amount of time of wave 1, and retraced all the way back to the 0.618 Fib retracement level, we would expect wave 4 to return to $20,940 (the 0.5 Fib retracement level). A decrease below $19,918 (red line) would invalidate this particular wave count. BTC Chart By TradingViewWhich One Is More Likely? A look 30-minute time-frame supports the possibility that BTC is in sub-wave 4 and will soon reverse its bearish trend. The reason for this is that the increase from yesterday’s lows (highlighted in green) looks impulsive, while the ensuing drop looks corrective. As long as BTC does not break down from the channel, it is expected to move upwards and gradually head towards the targets near $26,000. Conclusion Bitcoin is expected to soon reverse its trend and begin moving upwards. A decrease below $21,900 would postpone this possibility, suggesting that BTC is decreasing towards $21,000 before eventually moving higher. For BeInCrypto’s previous Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here! Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of BeInCrypto. The post Bitcoin (BTC) Dips Below $23,000 Searching for a Bounce appeared first on BeInCrypto.
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Nexus Mutual Founder Details Firsthand Account of $8M MetaMask Hack

BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. BeInCrypto (BeIn News Academy Ltd), we're writing about crypto. 22.12.2020 08:06
The founder of DeFi insurance protocol Nexus Mutual has published a postmortem on a targeted attack using MetaMask that resulted in the personal loss of $8 million in crypto assets. On Dec. 14, Nexus Mutual founder Hugh Karp had a nasty surprise when he was tricked into making a transaction to an attacker’s address via MetaMask. This resulted in the loss of 370,000 Nexus Mutual tokens (NXM) worth around $8.4 million at the time. Karp has now detailed the attack in the hope that others will not fall victim to the same scam. A post-mortem and status update on the NXM hack from last week.Thanks to everyone for their messages of support, and specifically to those that have been helping out our investigations.https://t.co/cCFsoP9WTD— Hugh Karp (@HughKarp) December 21, 2020Windows PC and MetaMask Compromised The DeFi expert stated that he was using a Ledger connected via MetaMask to interact with the Nexus Mutual application at the time on a computer running Microsoft Windows. A few days earlier, Karp noticed some screen flickering while composing an email but didn’t pay it much attention. An hour later, on Dec. 11, the MetaMask extension was altered from disk and replaced with a malicious version. On the day of the attack he went to claim some shield mining rewards through the MetaMask extension which popped up a spoof transaction instead of one to the intended destination. The transaction appeared on the Ledger and had gone through but there was no confirmation from the Nexus Mutual app which is when the penny dropped. He added that he should have been more careful in checking the transaction details, but the vulnerability was his PC which was likely hijacked by malware. “While most Metamask attacks phish your private keys by tricking you into downloading a malicious version, this was not the case here.” Karp has been working with cybersecurity experts at Kaspersky but the actual exploit is still unknown. He added that MetaMask, which has begun beefing up its security, is a clear target of many attacks, and; “DeFi power users should probably assume Metamask is compromised at all times unless they are running it on a separate clean machine that does nothing but sign transactions.” Ledger Users Be Warned Following the recent Ledger data breach, anyone owning this hardware wallet is likely to become a similar target. Hackers now have access to their emails, phone numbers, and address details thanks to slack security from the French wallet manufacturer. Some of the community set up a Gitcoin grant to compensate Karp for some of his losses, however, he stated that he doesn’t feel that he should be compensated. He suggested raising a bounty to fund the development of a highly secure solution for interacting with smart contracts designed for retail users. No such luxuries are available to Ledger owners who get hacked. The company has already stated it has no intention of offering refunds or assistance. The post Nexus Mutual Founder Details Firsthand Account of $8M MetaMask Hack appeared first on BeInCrypto.

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