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Nasdaq intends to launch its custody services for digital assets like bitcoin by the end of this year’s second quarter. The exchange operator is among those traditional financial firms that want to play a role as intermediaries in the crypto sector which saw the collapse of some major players. Stock Exchange Nasdaq Seeks Regulatory Approval as Crypto Custodian U.S. exchange operator Nasdaq plans to launch its own custody services for crypto assets by the end of June. The company moves into the industry in the aftermath of a series of failures such as the bankruptcy of FTX, one of the largest

Regulations governing tokenized deposits and crypto assets are likely to become effective on Jan. 1, 2025, a senior fintech analyst at the South African central bank has revealed. However, according to the analyst, regulators are still trying to understand or learn the risks that come with using distributed ledger technology. Central Bank Considers Appropriateness of Retail CBDC Gerhard van Deventer, a senior fintech analyst at the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) recently disclosed that regulations governing the so-called tokenized deposits and crypto assets are expected to come into effec

Billionaire Barry Sternlicht, chairman and CEO of Starwood Capital Group, has warned that the U.S. economy is going to implode, emphasizing that interest rates have to fall. He further stressed that the economy “will have a hard landing.” Barry Sternlicht on Hard Landing, Economic Implosion The chairman and CEO of Starwood Capital Group, billionaire Barry Sternlicht, discussed the state of the U.S. economy in an interview with CNBC on Thursday. Following the Federal Reserve hiking interest rates by 25 basis points (bps) on Wednesday, Sternlicht reiterated that the Fed should have stopped rai

Billionaire Bill Ackman has warned that the U.S. economy is “heading for a train wreck” if the government allows the current banking crisis to continue. “Trust and confidence are earned over many years, but can be wiped out in a few days,” he said. “Hopefully, our regulators will get this right.” Bill Ackman’s Warning Billionaire Bill Ackman, CEO and portfolio manager of Pershing Square Capital Management, has warned of an incoming train wreck. Pershing Square is a hedge fund management company with approximately $18.5 billion in assets under management. Ackman’s net worth is about $3.4 billi

The famous author of the best-selling book Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, has warned that the Federal Reserve’s continued rate hikes will crash stocks, bonds, real estate, as well as the U.S. dollar. He expects the next crash to be the “$1 quadrillion derivatives market.” Robert Kiyosaki on Interest Rate Hikes, Market Crashes The author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki, reiterated his warnings of market crashes and the danger of the Federal Reserve raising interest rates this week. Rich Dad Poor Dad is a 1997 book co-authored by Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. It has been on the New Yo

Switzerland’s troubled Credit Suisse and its rescuer, USB, are subject to an investigation into whether bankers helped Russian oligarchs evade Western sanctions, according to a media report. Some major U.S. banking institutions are also under scrutiny within the probe initiated by the Justice Department, sources say. Credit Suisse, US Banks Investigated for Suspected Sanctions Violations Favoring Russia’s Rich Switzerland-based global investment banks and financial services firms, Credit Suisse and UBS, are under scrutiny by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Bloomberg revealed, quoting kn

Over the past week, statistics show non-fungible token (NFT) sales totaled $193.08 million, down 5.44% from the previous week. Ethereum dominated NFT sales with more than $107 million or 55% of all sales, while Solana-centric NFT sales recorded $26.3 million or 13% of sales in the same period. NFT Market Shows Signs of Slowdown With Declining Weekly Sales and Lower 30-Day Totals Non-fungible token sales, or NFT sales, fell 5.44% this week compared to last week, with $193.08 million in sales recorded across 19 different blockchains. Cryptoslam.io statistics indicate that 30-day sales are gener

Following the Arbitrum token airdrop, ARB has become a top 40 cryptocurrency as it currently holds the 37th largest market valuation out of more than 23,000 listed digital currencies. Currently, there is a circulating supply of 1,275,000,000 ARB, and the Arbitrum Foundation’s DAO Treasury holds 3.52 million or 35.27% of the airdropped supply. Over the past day’s trading sessions, ARB has decreased by 9.8% against the U.S. dollar. Top Ten ARB Addresses Hold 94.41% of Current Circulating Supply According to statistics recorded on Saturday, March 25, 2023, Arbitrum’s native governance token, ARB

On March 23, 2023, bitcoin experienced another difficulty increase, following two previous rises in the last month, jumping 7.56% higher. Currently, bitcoin miners have not been deterred by the increases, as the network hashrate has been coasting along at 346 exahash per second (EH/s). Bitcoin Hashrate Remains High Despite Recent 7.56% Difficulty Rise As of writing, there are more than 1,700 blocks left until the next difficulty retarget on April 5, 2023. Despite the difficulty increase on March 23 at block height 782,208, the hashrate remains high, and block intervals are still faster than t

The crypto asset xrp rose by as much as 5% on Saturday, following declines of a similar amount during yesterday’s session. This comes despite the global crypto market cap moving lower, falling by 0.51% at the time of writing. Litecoin was also higher to start the weekend. XRP XRP, formerly ripple, was back in the green on Saturday, as the token rebounded from Friday’s losses. Following a low of $0.418, XRP/USD raced to an intraday high of $0.4501 earlier in today’s session. The move came as bullish momentum increased at the price floor of $0.4250, after bears failed to sustain an earlier br

Bitcoin was trading above $28,000 on Monday, as cryptocurrencies extended a bull run to start the week. This upwards sentiment comes as the Federal Reserve and other major central banks made coordinated moves to enhance market liquidity. Ethereum continues to trade close to $1,800. Bitcoin Bitcoin (BTC) started the week trading above $28,000, as markets responded to the deepening global banking crisis. The coordinated action by several major G7 central banks comes as Credit Suisse was bought out by rival UBS, a move engineered by Swiss authorities. BTC/USD jumped to an intraday peak of $28,

Blockchain technology can help solve current issues with settlements, according to the deputy chief executive of Sberbank. Russia’s largest bank is working with other financial institutions to develop blockchain-based payment applications, the banker revealed. Sberbank Sees Solution to Russia’s Troubles With Settlements in Blockchain With major Russian banks disconnected from the main global interbank payment system, SWIFT, due to Moscow’s war on Ukraine, blockchain will help to solve the problem with payments, Sberbank’s First Deputy CEO Alexander Vedyakhin is convinced. “It is blockchain t

PRESS RELEASE. WATERPORT PLACE, GIB., March 20th, 2023 – Digital Asset Management Limited and the Damex group (“Damex” or “Damex.io”)), a Distributed Ledger Technology provider based in Gibraltar, recently announced its utility token IEO, the Damex Token ($DAMEX), which can be used within the Damex App along with other non-fungible tokens (NFTs), to earn rewards for adopting a healthier and more active lifestyle. Damex announced its token IEO for 19th April. Its utility went live and was tested during the Q1 of 2023, with future developments for both the Damex Token and the Damex App slated t

A report issued by Globaldata, a global consulting and data analysis company, predicts that China will become a leading country in metaverse tech during 2023. The firm believes that the development of other technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and 6G will allow China to configure itself as a metaverse hub. China to Lead Metaverse Industry in 2023 While the interest in the metaverse seems to be waning at a worldwide level, China is still pushing to become a leader in the industry. According to a recent report prepared by Globaldata, a co

Microsoft, the software conglomerate, has introduced an Ethereum-based cryptocurrency wallet in the testing version of its Edge web browser. The new feature, which software sleuth Albacore discovered, is named “Crypto Wallet” and would allow users to store and transact Ethereum and Ethereum-based tokens in a non-custodial way, acting like a Metamask clone. Microsoft Introduces Ethereum Wallet in Its Edge Browser Cryptocurrency and Web3 projects are making inroads into mainstream software products. According to reports coming from Albacore, a software researcher, Microsoft is currently devel

The Mid-Size Bank Coalition of America has asked federal regulators to extend FDIC insurance to cover all deposits for the next two years. “Doing so will immediately halt the exodus of deposits from smaller banks, stabilize the banking sector and greatly reduce chances of more bank failures,” the group claimed. “It is imperative we restore confidence among depositors before another bank fails, avoiding panic and a further crisis.” Preventing ‘Panic and Further Crisis’ The Mid-Size Bank Coalition of America (MBCA) has reportedly asked federal regulators to extend Federal Deposit Insurance Corp

A U.S. congressman has urged the federal government to temporarily insure every bank deposit in the country. Following the collapses of several major banks, he stressed that if the government does not do this, there will be a run on smaller banks. “This is a contagion that could be spread across the entire banking system,” he warned. Lawmaker Warns of Runs on Smaller Banks U.S. Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO), a former banker and a member of the House Financial Services Committee, said last week that the government should temporarily insure every bank deposit in the country. His statem

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren has called for a “thorough, independent investigation of the causes” that led to the failure of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank. She alleges that Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell “bears direct responsibility” for regulatory and supervisory issues involving the two banks. Senator Elizabeth Warren Calls for Independent Investigation Into Bank Failures U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) called for an investigation into the recent collapse of major banks in a March 18 letter to the Treasury Department’s deputy inspector general, the Federal Depos

According to Sharering, a blockchain-based platform enabling the creation and use of “self-sovereign” verifiable credentials, millions of potential world wide web users are still disconnected from the internet because they lack required or verifiable identities, among other things. Without such verifiable identities or credentials, many disadvantaged groups, including refugees, are thus precluded from accessing information from the web that may enhance their way of life. Sharering on Proving ID Online To help such disadvantaged groups overcome this challenge, tech entrepreneurs and blockchain

Bitcoin reached a high of $28,422 per unit on Sunday at around 3 p.m. Eastern Time as the leading cryptocurrency has continued to rise during the last week. Since last Sunday, bitcoin has increased in value by 37.9% against the U.S. dollar, and the cryptocurrency’s overall market capitalization has swelled to $546 billion. Global Cryptocurrency Market Valuation Increases by 1.11% to $1.18 Trillion; Bitcoin Dominance Remains Above 45% At just before 3 p.m. ET on March 19, 2023, bitcoin (BTC) surpassed the $28,000 zone, rising to $28,422 per unit on Sunday afternoon. Presently, the leading

The Nigerian central bank has said the recently demonetized ₦200, ₦500 and ₦1,000 banknotes will remain legal tender until Dec. 31, 2023. The central bank statement, which reaffirms a Supreme Court ruling that extended the lifespan of the demonetized naira banknotes, followed a rebuke of the CBN by the outgoing Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari. Central Bank’s Silence and the Resulting Speculation The Central Bank of Nigeria finally issued a statement on March 13 reaffirming a Supreme Court ruling which extended the lifespan of the recently demonetized naira notes. In the statement, the C

Meta, the social media company, will continue to shed part of its workforce, recently announcing 10,000 new layoffs to be executed during 2023 as part of its new efficiency policy. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of the company, stated that artificial intelligence (AI) was currently the company’s most prominent investment, even over the metaverse. Meta Announces 10,000 Layoffs, Striving to Achieve Sustainability Meta, the parent company of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp, has announced a new set of moves as part of its “year of efficiency” policy. In a Facebook post, Meta CEO Mark Zucke

The founder of cryptocurrency exchange Bitzlato has denied guilt in a money laundering case in the United States. Anatoly Legkodymov was arrested in Miami, in mid-January, for his role in running the trading platform which allegedly processed over $700 million in illicit funds. Bitzlato Founder Legkodymov Appears in US Court Anatoly Legkodymov, one of the founders and majority owner of the Russia-linked crypto exchange Bitzlato, has made his first appearance in New York federal court on Tuesday, the Law360 portal reported. He has been ordered held without bail over allegations of laundering

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) says cryptocurrency investment fraud rose 183% from $907 million in 2021 to $2.57 billion in 2022, based on data from its Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The FBI also warned the public of “a spike in cryptocurrency investment schemes.” FBI’s Crypto Crime Statistics The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) published its 2022 Internet Crime Report last week. The report is compiled using data from the agency’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) which “serves as a public resource to submit reports of cyberattacks and incidents,” the bureau desc

The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in South Africa has rejected former Monero lead maintainer Riccardo Spagni’s bid to have it declare his extradition from the United States to South Africa illegal. In its ruling, the Supreme Court of Appeal insisted that Spagni did not sufficiently argue for the voiding of the extradition process. Spagni Challenges Extradition Process A South African court has dismissed former Monero lead developer Riccardo Spagni’s attempt to have his extradition from the United States to South Africa ruled illegal, a local report has said. In its ruling, the court argued t