Crypto Guides, Knowledge & Insights

Crypto Market Regulatory Uncertainty Overshadows Blockchain Development: Bank of America

The bank said it expects blockchain infrastructure and tokenization to transform financial and non-financing infrastructure and markets over the next five to 10 years.　　The rally in risk assets continues, but digital assets have underperformed the Nasdaq stock index by 24% since the beginning of May after gaining 52% from the start of the year, Bank of America (BAC) said in a Friday research report.　　“Digital asset sentiment remains poor as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissions (SEC) enforcement actions create regulatory uncertainty, pressuring token prices,” analysts Alkesh Shah and Andrew Moss wrote, adding that “digital asset trading platforms are just one piece of the broader ecosystem.”　　The regulator said earlier this month that it was suing Binance, its founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao and the operating company for Binance.US on allegations of violating federal securities laws. A day later it sued rival exchange Coinbase on similar charges.　　Bank of America says an excessive focus on regulatory headwinds, spot bitcoin exchange-traded-fund (ETF) approval in the U.S. and illicit activity is “overshadowing the rapid development and integration of distributed ledger and blockchain technology infrastructure.”　　“Specifically private permissioned distributed ledgers and blockchain subnets,” that enable the tokenization of traditional financial assets, the report added.　　The bank says it expects

2023-06-20Deep Dive

US National Debt Soars to Record-Breaking $32 Trillion

On Friday, the Treasury Department officially released data indicating that the federal borrowing has exceeded $32 trillion on US national debt. This milestone was reached within a span of less than two weeks after President Biden enacted legislation suspending the debt ceiling.　　The contentious bill, which includes substantial spending cuts as per the demands of House Republicans, grants the government unrestricted borrowing capabilities until the conclusion of 2024, coinciding with the expiration of the debt ceiling suspension.　　A Surge in Federal Borrowing　　Upon President Biden signing the bill into law on June 3, the recorded national debt was reported to be $31.47 trillion. However, on the immediate business day subsequent to the suspension of the debt ceiling, federal borrowing purportedly surged by almost $400 billion.　　This development signifies the accumulation of delayed borrowing requirements, including payments to federal worker retirement plans that the Treasury Department deliberately postponed to avert breaching the imposed ceiling. As of today, the national debt stood at $32.04 trillion.　　During the initial eight months of the ongoing fiscal year, a noticeable pattern emerges wherein the federal governments expenditures surpass its revenue, leading to the continuous growth of the national debt by $1.2 trillion.　　Meanwhile, projections indicate that annual budget deficits of $1

2023-06-19Deep Dive

Hong Kong Allocates 50 Million Yuan To Foster Growth Of Web3.0 Enterprises At Cyberport

Hong Kong Financial Secretary, Paul Chan, has announced the allocation of 50 million yuan to promote the development of Web3.0 enterprises at Cyberport. 　　Over the past year, Cyberport has attracted more than 150 companies in the Web3.0 space, showcasing its position as a thriving hub for technological innovation. With significant financing and intellectual property projects, Cyberport aims to accelerate the growth of Web3.0 and blockchain-based ventures.　　In an article penned by Hong Kong Financial Secretary, Paul Chan, it was revealed that Cyberport, the city‘s flagship technology hub, has successfully attracted over 150 companies operating in the Web3.0 sector. This remarkable achievement underscores Cyberport’s position as a leading center for cutting-edge technological innovation in Hong Kong.　　With more than 1,900 community enterprises, Cyberport boasts a cumulative financing figure of over 35.7 billion yuan for start-ups and holds over 480 intellectual property projects. This robust ecosystem has nurtured the growth of various successful ventures, including six “unicorns” that have emerged from Cyberports community.　　To further promote the advancement of Web3.0, the Hong Kong government has allocated 50 million yuan in the Financial Budget to Cyberport. This financial injection aims to fuel the growth of the third-generation Internet, which leverages blockchain technology as its underlying foundation.

2023-06-19Deep Dive

Binance Takes Action Against Fraudulent Entity In Nigeria, CZ Warns Users

In a recent development, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, known as CZ, took to Twitter to address a fraudulent entity operating under the name “Binance Nigeria Limited.” 　　CZ stated that Binance has issued a suspension notice to this entity, urging them to cease their operations immediately. Furthermore, he warned users not to trust any information associated with this fraudulent entity, advising them to rely solely on official announcements from the platform.　　This action comes after the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) publicly declared that Binance Nigeria Limited is not registered with or regulated by the commission. As a result, the SEC classified the entitys operations in Nigeria as illegal. The announcement by the SEC raised concerns regarding the legitimacy and compliance of the entity, prompting the firm to take swift action against it.　　Binance, one of the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchanges, is known for its commitment to regulatory compliance and the security of its users. The suspension notice serves as a strong stance against fraudulent entities attempting to operate under the brand in unauthorized ways. By issuing this notice, the platform aims to protect its reputation and prevent potential harm to users in Nigeria.　　CZs tweet acts as a cautionary message to users,

2023-06-19Deep Dive

Crypto Regulations: Safeguarding Investors while Promoting Innovation sao chép

Developing proper mental models for understanding the convergence of blockchain technologies and the economic activity they support can be difficult, given the different operational and governance structures of the crypto markets hundreds of companies. Forming accurate mental models, on the other hand, is critical for investors, builders, project communities, and regulators attempting to safeguard investors from fraud.　　With public blockchains, users can now send money internationally 24/7 at a fraction of the cost compared to using fintech services and traditional banking systems, even from countries that lack robust financial systems. Blockchain payment infrastructure also allows online services to expand sales globally, reaching hundreds of millions of internet users who find it difficult to obtain a Visa or Mastercard.　　The innovations and applications that can be built on top of blockchain technology are vast and still in the formative stages. Besides playing an outstanding role in supporting international payment systems, blockchain networks can support various other exciting technological applications, such as NFTs, real-world asset tokenization, and more.　　Although enforcing strict regulation on the crypto sector would protect investors from the risks associated with a volatile market, it could also drive innovation away from the regulating economy, hampering long-term productivity.　　Enforcing compliance requirements for small projects

2023-06-16Deep Dive

Caution: A Whale Raises 15,000 BTC In Just 1 Day Amid Market Turmoil

It is not always the time when we can see the price of Bitcoin (BTC) rising, as based on on-chain data, we can trace the activity of whale, the entity that determines the market.　　Recently, as observed by Coincu, a whale increased its Bitcoin holdings to 15,000 BTC in just one day. Yes, we didnt get it wrong; it was 15.00 BTC in just one day!　　This makes the entity the 4th largest whale wallet at the moment, and it comes amid market turmoil following last weeks events between the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission with Binance and Coinbase, the top 2 crypto companies in the US.　　One thing to note is that currently, only 4 wallet addresses (including 2 cold wallets of Binance) hold over 100,000 BTC per year. However, this whale only took a day to become 1 of the 4 largest BTC wallet addresses at the moment.　　More specifically, the amount of BTC that wallet addresses have BTC over 10 coins accounting for more than 80% of Bitcoins market share, it can be said that if these addresses sell off at the same time, it is very likely that bloodshed will occur on the crypto market.　　Source: BitInfoCharts　　Don‘t know if this is

2023-06-16Deep Dive

Kenyan President William Ruto Calls for Dedollarization Fuels Crypto Industry Potential

Kenyan President William Ruto delivered a resounding speech urging African nations to move away from reliance on the U.S. dollar for international trade. The address garnered enthusiastic applause from lawmakers, signaling Kenyas intentions to join BRICS and adopt a new currency.　　Ruto Explained His Side　　Ruto emphasized that Kenya had no justifiable grounds to utilize the U.S. dollar for transactions within the African continent, asserting that the countrys local currency, the Kenyan Shilling, should take precedence in cross-border trade.　　This bold stance reflects Kenyas determination to promote regional economic autonomy and bolster the use of local currencies for intercontinental transactions. Kenyan President William Ruto clarified his stance on the U.S. dollar, stating that he does not oppose its use.　　However, he emphasized his preference for promoting native currencies as a means to strengthen the local economy. Ruto asserted that the U.S. dollar should be utilized for cross-border transactions specifically when conducting business with the United States.　　For transactions involving other countries, Ruto advocated for the use of the Kenyan Shilling, the local currency managed by the exchequer. This approach aligns with Ruto‘s commitment to bolstering Kenya’s economy by encouraging the use of local currencies in appropriate contexts.　　Ruto Backs Afrexims Local Currency Platform for Pan-African Trade　　Kenyan

2023-06-16Deep Dive

DOJ Now Convicts Only 8 Crimes With Sam Bankman-Fried

On June 15, prosecutors of the US Department of Justice (DOJ) currently intend to try FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) only on eight charges brought in December 2022.　　The eight charges, namely conspiracy to commit wire fraud against a customer, wire fraud against a customer, conspiracy to wire fraud against a lender, wire fraud against a lender, conspiracy to commit commodity fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to defraud the United States and election violations financial law. Prosecutors stated:　　“In light of the uncertainty concerning when The Bahamas will render a decision with respect to specialty, and to simplify the proof at trial and decrease the burden of trial preparation on the defendant, the Government is prepared to proceed to trial as scheduled on the counts contained in the original Indictment.”　　SBF previously faced a total of 13 charges, but five of those were filed as superseding indictments in February and March 2023. It was previously reported yesterday that the Bahamas court temporarily prohibited the government from agreeing to the additional criminal proceedings after the extradition of SBF by the United States.　　Prosecutors proposed that the new charges be tried in the first quarter of

2023-06-15Deep Dive

Hong Kong Urges HSBC And Standard Chartered To Approve Cryptocurrencies: FT

Hong Kongs banking regulator is pressuring lenders, including HSBC and Standard Chartered, to take on crypto exchanges as customers, the Financial Times reports.　　The UK-based lenders and the Bank of China were questioned by the HKMA last month on why crypto exchanges were not being accepted as clients, according to the report.　　Banks do not have a ban on customers using cryptocurrencies. Still, they are reluctant to participate in exchanges out of concern that they could be prosecuted if the platforms are used to launder money or other illegal activities.　　The HKMA, in a letter to lenders on April 27, said diligence on potential customers should not “create undue burden,” especially “for those setting up an office in Hong Kong,” the FT report said.　　In a time when nations like the U.S. are stepping up their efforts to regulate cryptocurrency exchanges, Hong Kong is urging banks to accept cryptocurrency customers. Last week, the U.S. subsidiary of Binance stopped taking deposits in dollars after the Securities and Exchange Commission petitioned a court to freeze its assets.　　Regulators are calling for banks to provide services to virtual asset companies as the city strives to become a hub for the crypto industry. Regulators have stopped requiring banks to

2023-06-15Deep Dive

White hat hacker exploits Hashflow for $600K, seemingly just to return funds

Multi-chain trading platform Hashflow said on June 14 that it suffered an incident affecting hundreds of thousands in funds.　　$600K affected　　Hashflow did not explicitly confirm that it had been attacked but said that $600,000 of funds had been affected. It wrote that it is “addressing the current situation” and said that all users who were affected by the incident would be made whole.　　The project added that its decentralized exchange (DEX) was not affected by the exploit in any way and said that it would later publish a post-mortem.　　Hashflow said that it was originally notified of the exploit by PeckShield, a crypto-security firm. PeckShields notice called the attack an “approve-related issue” and said that $215,000 of ETH and $195,000 in ARB had been stolen for a total of $410,000.　　Hashflows later statements estimated a higher loss and also said that funds were stolen on Avalanche, BNB Chain, and Polygon as well.　　White hat hacker believed to be responsible　　Later posts from Peckshield said that the attack was carried out by a white hat hacker. It highlighted the fact that the hackers contract contains a recovery function.　　Hashflow has endorsed the hacker‘s recovery contract in its own instructions. Those instructions tell users to revoke token allowances to

2023-06-15Deep Dive

...

105107

...

736