Crypto Guides, Knowledge & Insights

Bitcoin Declines Amid JPMorgan, PNC’s First Republic Bank Buyout Bid

According to reports, U.S. financial regulators are working on a buyout deal for First Republic Bank (NYSE: FRC) with three major banks, as the banking crisis spreads. On Sunday, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) received several bids from JPMorgan Chase, PNC, and Citizen. However, the price of Bitcoin (BTC) declined as the deal approached completion.　　JPMorgan To Rescue First Republic Bank　　Three major banks, JPMorgan Chase, PNC Financial Services Group, and Citizens Financial Group, emerged as top bidders in the auction for the struggling First Republic Bank, according to reports. It is expected that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) will soon announce the details of the deal and takeover of the failing bank. Reuters also reported that the FDIC attempted to revise the buyout bid based on certain criteria, including the lenders assets. However, neither the FDIC nor First Republic Bank has made any official comments on the matter.　　The First Republic Bank Buyout deal comes at a time when the U.S. banking sector has already seen the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in a similar fashion.　　Data shows that First Republic Banks (NYSE: FRC) share price has fallen by 75% over the past week and by 97% in

2023-05-01Deep Dive

Polygon partners with Google Cloud as Filecoin breaks into cloud market

Google Cloud and Polygon Labs have formed a significant collaboration, while Filecoin has revealed its intentions to offer cloud services of its own.　　Google Cloud to will provide access to Polygon　　Polygon Labs and Google Cloud have formed a strategic alliance that spans multiple years. The announcement was made by both companies on April 27. As part of the partnership, Google Cloud will provide customers with easy access to Polygon blockchain nodes through its managed node hosting service.　　Furthermore, Google Cloud will provide cloud services to support Polygons new zkEVM scaling solution. According to Polygon Labs, utilizing Google Cloud to execute the networks zero-knowledge proofs is significantly faster and cheaper than the current approach.　　Additionally, by the end of the third quarter of 2023, the partnership will offer features related to Polygon Supernets, which is a dedicated app-chain.　　In addition, Google Cloud will provide funding for new startups backed by Polygon, which includes $200,000 worth of credits. This is part of a wider range of benefits that Google Cloud announced on April 25 for other startups related to Web3.　　The announcement about the partnership states that Google Cloud already provides some support for Polygon. For example, Polygons proof-of-stake nodes can be accessed through the Google Cloud

2023-04-28Deep Dive

Bitcoin Fraud Unraveled: CFTC Secures Record $3.47 Billion Judgment Against South African Mastermind

In a jaw-dropping turn of events, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced a staggering $3.47 billion judgment against Cornelius Johannes Steynberg, a South African fraudster who orchestrated one of the largest Bitcoin (BTC) scams in history. This penalty marks a new record high in CFTC cases, sending shockwaves through the financial world.　　Hailing from Stellenbosch, South Africa, Steynberg is the mastermind behind Mirror Trading International Proprietary Limited (MTI), which is currently in the process of liquidation. He is now facing severe consequences for his fraudulent schemes, including a permanent ban from engaging in any CFTC-regulated activities and registering with the organization.　　This high-stakes drama began when the CFTC filed a complaint in June 2022, leading to a default judgment and permanent injunction issued by Judge Lee Yeakel of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. Steynbergs fraudulent enterprise operated from May 2018 until March 2021 and involved an elaborate international multilevel marketing scam that lured unsuspecting victims into investing their hard-earned Bitcoin (BTC) in an unregistered commodity pool.　　Steynberg and MTI falsely claimed that their proprietary “bot” or software program would generate profits through off-exchange, retail forex trading. In reality, they misappropriated all the Bitcoin (BTC) they received from

2023-04-28Deep Dive

The CEO of Coinbase thinks moving to the UK from the US is a possibility.

Brian Armstrong says Coinbase may leave the U.S. if regulatory clarity doesnt come — opening potential to shift Coinbase to the U.K.　　Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said moving the exchanges headquarters to the U.K. is “on the table” if the U.S. regulatory landscape does not improve.　　War on crypto　　U.S. regulators have had a frosty relationship with crypto companies since at least before 2020.　　But 2023 saw a step up in the frequency of enforcement actions — leading many to believe U.S. authorities were waging a covert war on crypto.　　Partner at Castle Island Ventures, Nic Carter, was the first to talk about “a well-coordinated effort to marginalize the industry” publicly. Carter was referring to a deliberate attempt to de-bank the crypto industry — drawing parallels with Operation Chokepoint.　　Operation Chokepoint was a program that began in 2013, bypassing laws and democratic due process — with specific “undesirable” industries “choked” by the banking system.　　Carter and others believe Operation Chokepoint was resurrected this year to stifle the cryptocurrency industry.　　In April 2022, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said regulators actions would only serve to drive technological innovation from U.S. shores. Garlinghouse was quoted as saying Ripple would “leave the United States entirely” should it lose the ongoing SEC lawsuit.　　On

2023-04-28Deep Dive

Bitget would no longer provide services for Hong Kong users because of the new regulatory demands

Hong Kongs Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) will release guidance on the crypto licensing framework in May.　　Hong Kongs SFC CEO, Julia Leung, disclosed this at an event reported by Bloomberg on April 27. According to her, there is an ongoing consultation process for the regulatory framework for crypto entities in the city, and there have been more than 150 responses so far.　　The regulator said the new regulatory framework will become effective by June 1. This would mandate crypto platforms to register with the authorities of the city.　　With the law, licensed exchanges can offer cryptocurrency trading of major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) to retail traders.　　Meanwhile, this is part of Hong Kongs effort to become a financial hub for cryptocurrency in Asia. Two exchanges — Hashkey and OSL — already offer crypto trading services under the supervision of the Hong Kong SFC.　　But more exchanges might follow, mainly because the citys banking sector also offers support for crypto firms. Several crypto firms are struggling for new banking partners following the U.S. banking crisis.　　Binance CEO Changpeng ‘CZ’ Zhao previously said more funds would move to Hong Kong as banks in the region support crypto.　　BitGet launches a platform for Hong Kong users　　Crypto

2023-04-28Deep Dive

What Are Crypto Whales, and How Do You Identify Them?

Crypto whales are individuals or entities who hold large amounts of cryptocurrency and can influence markets with their trades.　　You can spot whales by checking blockchain explorers for large transactions, as well as social media platforms for updates from whales and accounts that cover whale activity.　　While whale activity can provide useful insights, it can be risky to rely on such activity to make trading decisions.　　Introduction　　Crypto whales are individuals or entities who hold large amounts of cryptocurrency, having amassed their substantial holdings through early investments, mining, or other means. With significant crypto holdings at their fingertips, whales have the ability to influence the market by buying or selling large amounts of assets, causing price fluctuations.　　In the crypto world, whales are often associated with high levels of volatility. Traders and investors watch them closely — an activity dubbed “whale watching” — to obtain valuable insights and make informed investment decisions.　　What Makes a Cryptocurrency Holder a “Whale”？　　While whales are individuals or entities who hold a large amount of cryptocurrency, there is no fixed amount of crypto assets someone must hold to be considered a whale. The term is relative and depends on the specific cryptocurrency in question.　　A crypto holder can be considered a whale

2023-04-28Deep Dive

Coinbase CEO Hits Back At U.S. SEC, Says “Coinbase Does Not List Securities”

Coinbase Global Inc. has issued a formal response to a Wells Notice received from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Thursday. The notice was issued to investigate the companys Earn product, wallet service, and exchange operations, prompting Coinbase to assert that it has not violated any securities laws while operating in the United States. The crypto exchange is based in California.　　Coinbase Asserts No Rules Were Broken　　Coinbase Global Inc.s CEO, Brian Armstrong, emphasized in a 14-minute video that the company is prepared to defend its position in court against the SECs investigation into its Earn product, wallet service, and exchange operations. Armstrong also expressed the companys willingness to engage in “true dialogue to a workable path forward” for the broader crypto industry. He criticized the SECs issuance of a Wells Notice, stating that it is not constructive or beneficial for the country given the lack of a clear regulatory framework.　　In response to the SECs investigation, Coinbases Chief Legal Officer, Paul Grewal, provided several examples to demonstrate the companys compliance with securities laws. He explained that Coinbase does not list securities, adheres to the SECs robust process, and rejects over 90% of crypto assets during an internal review before they are

2023-04-28Deep Dive

OKX Brings “Bitcoin Ordinals” To Its Wallet and NFT Marketplace

OKX, a cryptocurrency exchange, is introducing Bitcoin ordinals to its OKX Wallet and OKX NFT Marketplace. This makes OKX the first multi-chain platform to enable the viewing and transfer of Bitcoin ordinals. These are digital assets that are recorded on the smallest unit of Bitcoin, called Satoshi.　　Bitcoin ordinals have recently gained popularity in the crypto world, reinvigorating the NFT market and providing relief to Bitcoin miners who were struggling during the bear market. Bitcoin ordinals were made possible by the 2021 upgrade to the Bitcoin protocol called “Taproot,” which enables a unique digital signature on Bitcoin.　　OKX Introduces Bitcoin Ordinals on the Platforms　　　　OKX, the second-largest crypto exchange in terms of trading volume, has announced an upgrade to its OKX Wallet and NFT Marketplace. The upgrade will allow users to view and transfer Bitcoin (BTC) ordinals on the platforms, making OKX the first multi-chain platform to support this feature. The OKX Wallet currently supports BTC taproot addresses on its browser extension, with support for mobile devices coming soon. With this integration, customers can import their BTC wallets and manage their Bitcoin ordinals using a single wallet.　　According to OKX Chief Marketing Officer Haider Rafique, the integration of Bitcoin ordinals was a necessary move

2023-04-27Deep Dive

Binance’s New Initiative On Polygon Aims to Woo US Customers Amid Regulatory Scrutiny

Binance.US, the American branch of the biggest cryptocurrency exchange globally, has joined forces with Unstoppable Domains, a prominent domain name registrar in the Web3 space. As a result, they will now offer customized “.BinanceUS” addresses for their US-based clients. This allows users to choose a personalized digital identity, making it simpler to send and receive cryptocurrencies compared to the traditional alpha-numeric wallet addresses.　　Binance.US Offers Branded Web3 Domains　　Binance.US has partnered with Unstoppable Domains to offer its customers the ability to create unique digital identities for their cryptocurrency wallets using “.BinanceUS” domains. These domains can be easily used in the Binance.US app for buying, selling, and transferring digital assets, replacing the traditional alpha-numeric wallet addresses.　　In a recent official statement, it was announced that the .BinanceUS domains will soon be available exclusively through the Binance.US app. This partnership with Unstoppable Domains will also provide customers with two-digit domain names such as “00.BinanceUS” or “99.BinanceUS” for the first time. Unstoppable Domains also currently offers two-letter domains like “ok.BinanceUS”.　　BinanceUS Addresses To Start From $10　　As part of the partnership between Binance US and Unstoppable Domains, users of the latter can now withdraw cryptocurrency to a range of domain addresses, including those with “.crypto,” “.nft,” and “.x”

2023-04-27Deep Dive

The Next Bicasso: Binance NFT Releases AI-Powered NFT Generator

The new tool allows marketplace users to create computer-generated images and mint them as NFTs.　　Crypto exchange Binances non-fungible-token (NFT) marketplace users are getting creative with “Bicasso,” a new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered NFT generator the company released in beta Wednesday.　　Bicasso is similar to AI art platforms such as DALL-E or Midjourney, where users can type in a creative prompt to produce a unique image or upload an image for the tool to adapt. Users can then mint their images as NFTs on Binances native BNB chain.　　“You can turn your creative visions into NFTs with AI,” Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao said on Twitter. “Give it a try and show me what you make with it.”　　Binance NFT users quickly hopped on the new feature and shared their work. According to early mint data from the platform, nearly 3,300 users have minted at least one Bicasso NFT. The initial free mint is capped at 10,000 NFTs.　　Conversations around NFTs and AI have been on the rise in the past year, as generative art technology continues to push into Web3. Last year, generative art NFT collections weathered crypto winter with high prices and increasing trading volumes.

2023-04-27Deep Dive

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