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Real estate investments are booming in Spain and Europe, as investors are exiting riskier investment avenues in favor of safer options. According to sources from the real estate world, the interest in these instruments has grown 400% since November, with people purchasing homes without even having set foot in them. Some are even using crypto as a payment method. Real Estate in, Crypto and Stocks out in Spain The real estate market has been growing since last year in Spain and Europe, due to the rising inflation costs and war, which has changed the predictions some had about an economic recovery. According to numbers from Europa Press, the interest in the real estate market has increased by 400% since November, with many investors running toward buying properties without even having seen them. Some investors have even taken funds from other investments considered riskier, like stocks and cryptocurrencies, to take refuge in the properties market. Rebeca Pérez, founder and CEO of Inviertis, a company that allows users to invest in rented properties in Spain, gave its take on what is happening in the real estate market. She stated: [Investors] are withdrawing everything they had on the stock market and are investing in real estate to preserve their assets, a situation that has worsened since the Russian military invasion of Ukraine. Crypto Investments Reevaluated Pérez believes that crypto and stock investors value real estate properties as a more stable investment that offers less fluctuation than stock or crypto markets, and also gives them the opportunity of getting in and out of the market easily due to the high demand. This high interest has also driven some crypto investors to purchase properties directly with cryptocurrencies, not having to exchange them for fiat money using banks. This can be pretty attractive to some investors, according to Perez. She explained: You turn a risky investment into a conservative one and, if you were lucky enough to enter the crypto world in 2012, for example, you can buy a house for 200 euros back then. However, there are still hurdles that need to be simplified when doing this kind of transaction with cryptocurrencies. These include the calculation of the taxes associated with the purchase and setting the price in bitcoin or another cryptocurrency due to their volatility. These operations are much more common in Latam, where several properties have already been sold for crypto, and there is a more general acceptance of the assets as payment methods. What do you think about the real estate boom and its relation with crypto in Spain? Tell us in the comments section below. View the full article

An exciting crypto fishing game with a unique set of NFT-gaming instruments – World of Defish – is excited to announce its full-scale mainnet launch. Follow the “Fish.Play.Earn.Trade” motto of the game’s creators and dive into the fascinating world of underwater adventures with lucrative prizes and awards. If you’re a fisher in your soul, a new multiverse P2E game is ready to give you the pleasure of a fishing adventure in the comfort of your home. World of Defish, a genuine NFT-enriched multiverse playground for the fans of P2E products, is finally LIVE on its BSC mainnet. WOD attracted over 10,000 new players within the first 30 minutes after the mainnet launch, proving that fishing is still in vogue. With an active player number exceeding 1,600 a day, the game is now ranked #14 among BSC-powered games. World of Defish is a fascinating game with futuristic graphics that offers unrivaled player experiences. It allows you to fish, upgrade your equipment, enhance your fishing skills, acquire new areas, compete with peers, and trade the earned assets in the in-game NFT marketplace. Main Gameplay Features There’s so much in World of Defish to make it your new addiction. The WOD creators have taken care of a large set of treats you’re sure to enjoy: Defish Boxes give you the essential fishing equipment to start playing WOD. If you fail to receive the box, you can buy the needed tools in the WOD marketplace. The marketplace is the platform where all WOD players can trade their catch and equipment, as well as monitor new territories on sale. Staking is an essential P2E feature that helps players earn a passive income with the earned WOD tokens and NFT assets they’ve discovered. NFT Zones are the landowners’ territories where the owners set their special rules and charge fees from other players fishing for WOD tokens on their property. Crafting helps players collect parts of the needed equipment after each fishing session and compile the working tools from those spare parts afterward. The guild system creates a sense of belonging to the WOD community and strengthens the WOD brand identity. Active players are awarded NFT badges and unique NFT fishes with guild design as a sign of their distinction. Ranks are awarded to players depending on their progress and open new privileges to those with a higher rank, thus adding the competitive spirit to the gameplay. P2E Opportunities WOD was created in the best tradition of the P2E game format, giving players many possibilities to earn real money with gaming: Land owning – buy fishing areas and set your own rules for the fishers coming to you for WOD mining, earning money on commissions. NFT farming – the fishing process is a hunt for NFT fishes, some of which are rare and valuable. WOD farming – the gaming process involves WOD farming, and you can withdraw the mined WOD amount at any moment. Crafting – by collecting elements of fishing equipment, you can compile workable tools and trade them lucratively in the WOD marketplace. Staking – once you earn a sufficient number of WOD tokens and have some spare cash, you can earn a passive income via high-interest in-game staking. The average income of players in WOD fishing zones is $400. So, stick to one of the methods you like the most or combine them for a lucrative and exciting WOD experience. In any way, you’re doomed to success in this game with a realm of earning opportunities. The $WOD Tokenomics All fishermen use $WOD, which is a BEP-20 token, to complete any transactions within the game. The token is used in the game as a tool of governance, a utility token, and a P2E award to gamers. You can either buy WOD at the Poolz, Pancakeswap, or MEXC exchanges or earn WOD tokens with active gameplay. To earn WOD in the game, you need to choose an area on the map and go fishing there. Rewards can be claimed at any moment. With the help of WOD tokens, you will purchase more advanced equipment, stake the tokens for passive income, and make in-game upgrades. To earn more WOD in P2E activities, you need to upgrade your equipment, skills, and game ranking. These efforts will make your WOD mining efforts more productive, giving you an advantage over peers. Where to buy $WOD? Buy $WOD on Pancakeswap – Link Buy $WOD on MEXC Exchange – Link $WOD Contract on BSC: 0x298632d8ea20d321fab1c9b473df5dbda249b2b6 WOD Partners To make the project functional, safe, and accessible to everyone, WOD has formed an extensive network of strategic partnerships with major players in the blockchain universe. The current list of partners includes Poolz (a DEX where you can buy WOD tokens), Seedify, and BSCPad (a platform for the WOD token’s initial launch). The project also collaborates with Mexc Global, Galactic Arena, and Chainlink to ensure a robust and functional architecture and safe transactions. The WOD smart contract logic was recently audited by Verichains – a reputable audit provider guaranteeing the absence of critical vulnerabilities and bugs. The Team Behind World of Defish The WOD success would be impossible without the hard work and dedication of the WOD Dream Team. The project is headed by Alexey Kuchma, the WOD CEO and Lead Game Designer with an extensive experience in NFT and blockchain. The project’s CTO, Miroslaw Shpak, contributed over a decade of development, team-leading, dApp creation, and gaming expertise in the WOD game. The development process was spearheaded by the company’s COO Vladislav Gavturenko, a specialist with expertise in Project Management and a Computer Science degree. The marketing campaign for the launch was covered by CMO Slava Malchenko. Let’s Stay in Touch It’s also heart-warming to note that WOD is now enjoying active social community growth and has over 100,000 followers on Telegram and 90K followers on Twitter. The number of active users on Discord has exceeded 10,000 people, with hundreds of fan streams available on YouTube. To learn more about the WOD project, go to https://worldofdefish.com/ This is a sponsored post. Learn how to reach our audience here. Read disclaimer below. View the full article

Argentinians are very interested in cryptocurrencies, according to a survey made by Americas Markets Intelligence. According to data sourced from the study, more than one in ten Argentinians have made some kind of crypto investment. Furthermore, 18% of the surveyed stated they had an interest in buying cryptocurrencies in the future. Crypto Adoption Booms in Argentina A report recently shared by Americas Markets Intelligence has shown significant growth when it comes to cryptocurrency adoption in Argentina. The survey, that was made last year by polling 400 different users via smartphone, found that 12 out of 100 Argentinians had invested in crypto last year. While this number may appear low, it is actually higher than the statistics found for other countries in South America. Brazil reached an adoption of 7%, while Mexico had 6%. The country was also above the average adoption rate in Latam, which was 8%. This is explained due to several reasons that derive from the economic traits of the country, where inflation and monetary restrictions have been affecting the population for years. However, the adoption percentage in Argentina is below the 16% found in the U.S. Reasons for the Growth The study analyzed the possible reasons for this growth in Argentina being over the total growth in South America and found three reasons that, combined, might explain the boom that crypto has seen in Argentinian and Latam Markets. The first one has to do with the high degree of digitalization these societies have compared to the low level of banking adoption. On this, the report states: Persistent mistrust of banks has limited the growth of digitization and kept the use of cash even as consumers feel comfortable with digital tools. Another important factor has to do with the inflation and monetary volatility in the country, which makes cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ethereum interesting choices of investment and savings even when being highly volatile. The third reason has to do with remittances and the percentage that Argentinians have to pay to send and receive remittances, which is 5.5%. The use of cryptocurrencies sidesteps these platforms and lets users move their funds with almost no costs involved. The study also sees potential in the future growth of crypto as an investment product. 18% of the surveyed stated that they have an interest in investing in crypto in the future, having never done it before. Of these, 54% stated that protecting their savings was a key benefit of cryptocurrencies. What do you think about the boom in crypto interest in Argentina? Tell us in the comments section below. View the full article

The Central Bank of Russia has emphasized the importance of moving forward with its digital ruble project. According to a statement by a top representative, the monetary authority has no intention to delay the trials despite not all invited banks being ready to participate yet. Bank of Russia to Experiment With Digital Ruble Payments This Year The digital ruble is “very much needed,” First Deputy Chairman of Bank of Russia Olga Skorobogatova has recently remarked in a statement quoted by business news portal RBC’s crypto page. The regulator will not delay upcoming tests of the prototype currency platform, the high-ranking official said and elaborated: If we move quickly with testing and legislative changes, we can implement it in the coming years. The Central Bank of Russia (CBR) started trials with the digital ruble in January and announced the first successful transactions between individual wallets in mid-February. At least a dozen Russian financial institutions are taking part in the experiments which are expected to continue throughout 2022. Not all participating banks are technically ready to join the tests right now, Skorobogatova admitted. However, she insisted this should not affect the timing of the project to issue the Russian central bank digital currency (CBDC). The second phase of the trials is scheduled to begin in the fall, Skorobogatova revealed earlier this year. During that stage, the CBR plans to launch operations involving payments for goods and services with the digital ruble as well as government transfers. The bank will also issue smart contracts in collaboration with the Federal Treasury. The digital ruble is the third incarnation of Russia’s national fiat currency, after paper cash and electronic — bank money — which will be issued by the Russian central bank. Russians will be able to use it both online and offline. The CBR says its CBDC will create new opportunities for citizens, businesses, and the state. As Russia is struggling with effects of expanding western sanctions over the Ukraine war, calls have been heard in Moscow to turn to cryptocurrencies as a means to circumvent the restrictions and finance international trade. An idea to make the digital ruble a reserve currency was also circulated last month as a way to reduce Russia’s dependence on the U.S. dollar, now, when its foreign currency reserves abroad are frozen. Do you think the Central Bank of Russia will step up efforts to test and issue the digital ruble? Tell us in the comments section below. View the full article

PRESS RELEASE. Spring is coming on strong for our launchpad. GADA, the first permissionless and community-governed launchpad ecosystem on Cardano, will launch a sale on KICK.IO on the 20th of April! With the help of two launchpads – GADA Pro and GADA Light – GADA helps various projects to both raise liquidity and distribute tokens stress-free. While GADA Pro does require KYC measures, its detailed screening and review process gives way to a more trustworthy and stable DeFi ecosystem. This version is perfect for projects that are in a more advanced stage of development. The Light version offers complete freedom for everyone to fundraise projects on the Cardano blockchain with full automation and without KYC verification. And more freedom means that GADA Light users will also be able to help shaping the future of GADA’s platform. GADA also uses a 5 Tier system that aims to create an inclusive environment for any investor – big or small. While the first three GADA Tiers are better suited for smaller-scale token holders, the fourth and fifth tiers attract larger token holders by yielding higher allocation opportunities. $GADA token will serve to fuel the GADA ecosystem mainly through the Tier Structure and the future governance system that will be implemented. GADA GADA is ready to democratize fundraising on the Cardano blockchain Website | Telegram | Twitter | Medium | LinkedIn | GitHub Seed Round Sale On KICK.io The sale will last for four days, so make sure you check your calendars. It will start on April 20th 2022 and end on April 24th 2022. Public Round Details: Price per GADA: $0.5 Launch date: April 20st 15:00 UTC End date: April 24th 15:00 UTC Minimal contribution: 50 USD Maximum contribution: 5 000 USD Vesting Period: 10% of the purchased amount will be released to the investor after the sale and then after that 22.5% each month About KICK.IO KICK.IO is a Cardano-based fundraising platform and project accelerator, designed to provide transparent, efficient, and fully decentralized crowdfunding services. KICK.IO is set to mature into a cornerstone of the new Cardano-dominated DeFi landscape, becoming the place where Cardano’s extensive community can come together to fund projects characterized by the immense potential for future success. Our next-generation decentralized launchpad will be built according to the best DeFi industry practices, ensuring real-time settlement, top-notch security, interoperability, true decentralization, zero counterparty risk, while also being fully scalable to meet the needs of institutional investors. Unlike our competitors, we offer full support of Cardano native tokens and a suite of advanced DeFi tools that upcoming projects need to thrive and prosper. Twitter | Telegram | Medium | Website This is a press release. Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the promoted company or any of its affiliates or services. Bitcoin.com is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in the press release. View the full article

Iran has drafted new rules to increase penalties for illegal cryptocurrency mining in the country, including additional fines and imprisonment. “Any use of subsidized electricity intended for households, industrial, agricultural, and commercial subscribers for mining cryptocurrency is prohibited.” New Penalties for Illegal Cryptocurrency Mining in Iran An official with Iran’s Power Generation, Distribution, and Transmission Company (Tavanir) said the country’s administration will approve new rules to increase penalties for unauthorized cryptocurrency mining, IRNA publication reported Sunday. Mohammad Khodadadi Bohlouli explained that under the new law: The increased penalties include raising fines by at least three and at most five times, imprisoning the offender, and revoking the offender’s business license. “Any use of subsidized electricity intended for households, industrial, agricultural, and commercial subscribers for mining cryptocurrency is prohibited,” Khodadadi said. The Iranian government approved cryptocurrency mining as an industry in 2019. In January 2020, the Ministry of Industry, Mine, and Trade issued over 1,000 licenses for cryptocurrency mining operations. However, Iranian authorities said that some unauthorized miners are using household electricity for cryptocurrency mining, resulting in major issues for the country’s electricity industry. In December last year, crypto miners were ordered to halt operations to prevent winter blackouts. In September, the authorities reportedly confiscated over 220,000 mining machines and shut down nearly 6,000 illegal crypto mining farms across the country. What do you think about Iran increasing penalties for unauthorized cryptocurrency mining? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

Allianz Chief Economic Advisor Mohamed El-Erian says that the Federal Reserve’s response to inflation will cause the prices of cryptocurrencies, like bitcoin, to “go higher.” He noted: “That’s what you get when you’ve waited too long to recognize what inflation is and to take action.” Predictions by Allianz’s Chief Economist Economist Mohamed El-Erian discussed the U.S. economy, the markets, and the Federal Reserve’s response to inflation in an interview with CNBC Monday. El-Erian is the president of Queens’ College, Cambridge University. He is also Chief Economic Advisor at Allianz, the corporate parent of PIMCO, one of the largest investment managers, where he was CEO and co-chief investment officer. He explained: I think the markets have understood that we have three issues. One is high, persistent inflation is with us. Two is the Fed is way behind, and three, the pathway for orderly disinflation is pretty narrow. Due to these factors, the economist said that companies are now having questions about growth. He noted that investment bank Goldman Sachs came out Monday saying that there is a 35% probability of a recession in the next two years. “That’s a meaningful number, 35%,” El-Erian stressed. “So, the big question is: can we navigate this inflation growth landscape that has become much more difficult?” he noted, adding that “Bank CEOs, they are worried about the macro environment.” The Restoration of Value The Allianz chief economic advisor was asked about the long-term outlook for the crypto market following the weekend selloff in some major cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin. “I think the concern for the crypto people is that this decline is happening at a time when gold is up and hitting almost $2,000,” he opined. “Because the big argument for crypto is it’s a diversifier. At the time of inflation, it’s attractive. And recently, crypto hasn’t played that role.” The economist explained: “There’s a reason why, and that’s because crypto, unlike gold, benefited enormously from all the liquidity injections. So what you’re getting in crypto is a tug of war between a recognition that liquidity is going out from the system as a whole and attractiveness as a diversifier. So far, it’s the liquidity element that is winning out.” He further detailed: What you are seeing across the board is the restoration of value, and that’s a good thing. You’re seeing it in stocks, you’re seeing it in bonds, you’re seeing it in crypto. “We are just adjusting to a paradigm in which liquidity is no longer abundant, and is no longer predictable,” he added. El-Erian reiterated: “So I view this as part of the restoration of value that we are seeing in quite a few assets, not all of them yet, but quite a few already.” The Fed’s Inflation Target and Crypto Market El-Erian was also asked about what would force the Federal Reserve to change its inflation target and what that target would be. “What will force them to change their target is the recognition that by being so late, they can’t get to their target and their credibility is threatened,” he replied. “They would also worry that by hitting the brakes too hard, they may push this economy not just into a short-term recession but into a longer-term recession.” He continued: “They will be very tempted and lots of people will push them to raise the target from 2% to 3% as a way out. Now, that’s not going to be an easy way out, and it’s going to be incredibly controversial.” El-Erian opined: “That’s what you get when you’ve waited too long to recognize what inflation is and to take action. We should have started QT last year; we didn’t. And we are now seeing the consequences of the Fed being so late.” The economist was asked what will happen to crypto and gold if the Fed does what he described. He replied: They both go higher. Do you agree with El-Erian? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

PRESS RELEASE. INTERNET CITY, DUBAI, Apr. 18, 2022 – LBank Exchange, a global digital asset trading platform, will list CTOMORROW PLATFORM (CTP) on April 20, 2022. For all users of LBank Exchange, the CTP/USDT trading pair will be officially available for trading at 18:00 (UTC+8) on April 20, 2022. Using cutting-edge technologies to revolutionize current industry standards and practices, CTOMORROW PLATFORM (CTP) is here to foster an ecosystem of personalized, customized health solutions individually tailored to everyone’s unique traits and needs. Its native token CTP will be listed on LBank Exchange at 18:00 (UTC+8) on April 20, 2022, to further expand its global reach and help it achieve its vision. Introducing CTOMORROW PLATFORM CTOMORROW PLATFORM is a personalized technology platform focusing on innovations which revolutionize the way people monitor and manage their health for a healthier, happier world. It sits squarely at the intersection of three important emergent technologies: mHealth, AI avatars, and blockchain technology. The primary components of the CTOMORROW ecosystem are blockchain, the CTP token, the CTP exchange gateway, Big Data and AI. The CTOMMORROW Project accelerates innovation in the Health Tech sector, promoting a healthier and more positive life for all. CTOMORROW’s particular emphasis is on projects that leverage mobile technology to produce software applications (Apps) that provide users with real-time health or beauty diagnosis. These applications use facial recognition technology to gather data about the user’s skin condition and health, since the majority of smartphones on the market already are equipped with biometric facial recognition technology. The CTOMORROW Smart Data Factory is an ever-growing database that provides information to CTOMORROW AI, to provide the most accurate health reports and recommendations to the users. CTOMORROW DID is a set of authorization APIs provided by CTOMORROW that developers can use to allow their users to connect and share their data externally, and increase engagement with other websites and applications via their CTOMORROW account. Last but not least, CTOMORROW’s Dynamic NFT Avatars take the concept of PFP NFT to the next level with personalized avatars based on user’s initial facial scan which evolve over time based on their initial personal attributes, their progress with health and beauty solutions, and the body of knowledge accumulated in the Smart Data Factory and applied to their individual data points. About CTP Token CTP is a medium that induces users to provide data within the CTOMORROW’s ecosystem. Users can use the received CTP to pay for products or services provided in the ecosystem or receive additional benefits. Based on BSC, CTP has a total supply of 9 billion (i.e. 9,000,000,000) tokens, of which 25% is provided for big data mining, 14% is allocated to collaboration partners, 9.7% is provided for pre-sale, 10% is allocated to the foundation, 9% will be used for ecosystem expansion, another 9% is allocated to the founders, 8.3% will be used for marketing, 7% is allocated to the team, 5% is provided for floating liquidity, and the rest 3% is allocated to the advisors. CTP token will be listed on LBank Exchange at 18:00 (UTC+8) on April 20, 2022. Investors who are interested in CTOMORROW PLATFORM investment can easily buy and sell CTP token on LBank Exchange by then. The listing of CTP on LBank Exchange will undoubtedly help it further expand its business and draw more attention in the market. Learn More about CTP Token: Official Website: https://ctomorrow.io Telegram: https://t.me/CTPKoreaOfficial Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ctomorrow_world About LBank Exchange LBank Exchange, founded in 2015, is an innovative global trading platform for various crypto assets. LBank Exchange provides its users with safe crypto trading, specialized financial derivatives, and professional asset management services. It has become one of the most popular and trusted crypto trading platforms with over 6.4 million users from now more than 210 regions around the world. Start Trading Now: lbank.info Community & Social Media: l Telegram l Twitter l Facebook l Linkedin Contact Details: LBK Blockchain Co. Limited LBank Exchange media@lbank.info This is a press release. Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the promoted company or any of its affiliates or services. Bitcoin.com is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in the press release. View the full article

Following Bitmain’s product introduction of two new application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) bitcoin mining rigs, the mining devices manufacturer Microbt has announced the launch of two new miners as well. Revealed during the Bitcoin 22 conference in Miami, Microbt showcased the company’s new Whatsminer M50 series, which offers hashrate speeds of up to 126 terahash per second (TH/s). Microbt Launches 2 New Next-Generation Bitcoin Mining Rigs Bitcoin miners are getting more advanced as the latest machines revealed by Bitmain and Microbt indicate that next-generation mining rigs pack a whole lot of hashpower. Bitcoin.com News has previously reported on Bitmain’s upcoming mining machines that offer hashrate speeds up to 255 TH/s. The first was the Antminer S19 XP revealed in November 2021, which boasts a hashrate of 140 TH/s, and the second was the Antminer S19 Pro+ Hyd. with up to 198 TH/s of computational power. Additionally, Bitmain revealed another hydro ASIC unit called the Antminer S19 XP Hyd., which produces a whopping 255 TH/s according to the company. Now new Microbt-brand Whatsminer ASIC bitcoin mining rigs have been revealed and the company expects to ship the latest series by the third quarter of 2022. While the devices are not as powerful as Bitmain’s latest mining machines, the Microbt-made rigs are more powerful than the current machines in production today. Microbt unveiled the latest Whatsminer M50 series at the Bitcoin 22 conference in Miami and the company’s top machine boasts a full-custom chip design and 126 TH/s in computational processing power. The company further details that the Whatsminer M50S has a power efficiency rating of 26 joules per terahash (J/TH) and it runs on 3,276 watts (W). The full-custom chip design is a 5nm process, which improved upon the firm’s last bitcoin miner the M30S++ (110 TH/s). During the announcement, Microbt also hinted at a hydro-cooling mining rig that will produce “240 TH/s of computing power at 29 J/TH of power efficiency.” However, that Whatsminer M53 machine is not yet showcased or available for purchase on the manufacturer’s Whatsminer website. The latest two Whatsminer M50 series rigs are available, as the M50S (126 TH/s) currently costs $10,924.20 per unit and the M50 (114 TH/s) is priced at $8,857.80 per rig. For reference, using today’s BTC exchange rates and $0.12 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in electricity, a 110 TH/s mining rig will produce an estimated $10.48 per day in BTC profits. Current data indicates that at today’s BTC prices, the two Whatsminer M50 series machines would be more profitable. Microbt also detailed that it is ready to support emerging bitcoin mining areas such as North America. “Microbt is capable of producing and shipping over 30,000 pieces per month from its production site located in Southeast Asia this year,” the company’s press release notes. “[The M50 series] will help customers to enter into the 2X J/T mining era, and stay in power that never ends for ESG-friendly mining,” Jianbing Chen, the COO of Microbt said in a statement. Meanwhile, Microbt’s machines are expected to start shipping in “Q3 of 2022,” while Bitmain’s Antminer S19 XP series is expected to reach the public by July 2022. What do you think about Microbt’s new Whatsminer M50 series bitcoin mining rigs? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

On Monday, the Ethereum Foundation (EF) published a financial report that shows the foundation currently holds $1.6 billion in its treasury. $1.3 billion of the treasury’s assets are held in cryptocurrencies while the rest of the treasury is composed of non-crypto investments and assets. Ethereum Foundation Holds $1.294 Billion in Ether The Ethereum Foundation is a non-profit organization that’s dedicated to fostering growth within the Ethereum ecosystem. The recently published EF April 2022 report explains that there are various ways the EF bolsters the Ethereum environment. EF creates teams focused on improving Ethereum and the network’s ecosystem, the non-profit provides projects with grants to fund other teams outside of the core EF teams, it manages delegated domain allocation, and it also leverages third-party funding techniques. After explaining what the Ethereum Foundation is and what it does, the April 2022 report discusses the EF treasury and financials. According to the EF, it currently holds $1.6 billion in its treasury, and $1.3 billion is composed of digital currencies like ethereum (ETH). In fact, according to the EF report, the foundation holds 80.5% of its crypto holdings in ether, which represents 0.297% of the total ether supply. EF insists that even during multi-year crypto market downturns, the non-profit allocates a “conservative treasury” that’s “immune to the changes in the price of ethereum.” The reason why EF is holding so much ether is because it represents the non-profit’s belief in Ethereum’s future potential and the holdings “represent that long-term perspective.” EF Spends $48 Million in 2021 The EF report also disclosed that last year, the non-profit spent an aggregate of around $48 million, and $20 million of the total spent was directed at “external spending” such as grants. The remaining balance funded teams and projects with the Ethereum ecosystem. The entire spending balance was placed into unique categories which include layer one (L1) research and development (R&D), layer one (L2) R&D, applied ZK research, community development, and internal operations spending. The Ethereum Foundation is one of many organizations that hold ether in a treasury, as Bitcoin.com News recently reported on a number of ether treasuries on April 10. The report had shown 12 different companies that held close to $700 million worth of ethereum on their balance sheets. What do you think about the Ethereum Foundation’s financial report disclosing its current ethereum holdings? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

The algorithmic stablecoin stemming from the Terra (LUNA) network has become the third-largest stablecoin token in terms of market capitalization at $17.54 billion. As of today, UST’s market capitalization has surpassed the BSC-based stablecoin BUSD by more than $67 million. Stablecoin Terrausd Surpasses BUSD’s Market Valuation There’s a new leader in the world of stablecoins, as Terra’s dollar-pegged algorithmic cryptocurrency now commands the third-largest stablecoin position, in terms of overall market valuation. Statistics indicate that terrausd’s (UST) issuance increased by 14.9% over the last month and currently the stablecoin has a market cap of around $17.54 billion. The stablecoin has managed to surpass BUSD, which currently has a market cap of around $17.47 billion on Monday, April 18, 2022. The milestone also means UST is the largest decentralized stablecoin under two centralized stablecoin behemoths. It is well known that the centralized stablecoin tether (USDT) is the largest stablecoin today, with a market capitalization of around $82.6 billion. The second-largest stablecoin market valuation is held by usdcoin (USDC) which has a $49.8 billion capitalization at the time of writing. While Terra’s UST is the third largest, it only represents 21.23% of USDT’s overall value. However, Terra’s UST represents 35.22% of USDC’s market cap today. In terms of market cap size today, UST is valued at over $67 million higher than BUSD, which is also a centralized stablecoin. BUSD’s reserve assets are held by the digital currency company Paxos, while the algorithmic stablecoin UST is created via a burning process using the Terra network. UST is essentially created by burning a single U.S. dollar’s worth of terra (LUNA), the Terra network’s native crypto asset. Other types of decentralized stablecoin projects like Makerdao’s DAI leverage an over-collateralization process to keep the token pegged to the value of one USD. Terra’s stablecoin UST has grown exponentially during the last 509 days or 16 months. On November 25, 2020, UST had a circulating supply of 13.2 million coins and since then, the UST supply has increased by 132,504%. What do you think about terrausd (UST) becoming the third-largest stablecoin by market cap? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

PRESS RELEASE. Dvision Network has announced the third LAND Sale to be conducted on both the Polygon Network and the BNB Chain. The most exciting aspect of the third LAND Sale is that 50% of the available LAND NFTs will be sold through the Shopify Marketplace. Moreover, the LAND NFTs pre-minted on Polygon Network will be accessible on Shopify for purchase with credit cards, whilst the LAND NFTs pre-minted on BNB Chain will be accessible on Dvision Marketplace for purchase with DVI tokens. The third LAND Sale officially includes the Berlin and San-Paulo Meta-Cities, which are the fifth and sixth cities in the pipeline of cities linked by Dvision World. As such, the LAND sale shall be carried out on 19th April, 2022, at 08:00 P.M KST. Understanding LAND NFT Naturally, it is important to understand what you are getting into beforehand. ‘LAND’ refers to the digital real estate that can be obtained. Not only this, but this real estate is also fully customizable within the Dvision Metaverse. In a nutshell, Dvision World can be thought of as the main gateway to every Meta-City. Each city in turn is composed of multiple Meta-Spaces, and the best thing about this is that the users are always in total control. Also, any user who owns LAND will also be given the chance to personalize and supply content if they desire, which will go to their respective Meta-Space. So far, two LAND sales have already occurred. Whereas the first LAND Sale was only backed by the Binance Smart Chain (BEP-721) and the second LAND Sale was only done on the Polygon Network, the third LAND Sale looks to take the initiative by conducting the sale on both chains, thereby greatly increasing accessibility. It is also equally important to work alongside notable companies and organizations in this sector. Dvision has therefore teamed up with various essential partners in this project to prepare for the third LAND Sale, which like any other noteworthy initiative, has involved plenty of obstacles that must be overcome if the sale is to be successful. Also, Shopify will not actively be taking part in the sale, as it is only acting as a typical marketplace and nothing more. Dvision has nevertheless obtained the Shopify Plus merchant certification in order to make the whole event possible through the Shopify NFT Beta Program. More details about the third LAND sale The very first Meta Cities were London, Tokyo, New York and Seoul, with the total number of cities being 20. In the third LAND sale, Dvision fans can look forward to the launch of Sao Paulo and Berlin, the fifth and sixth cities in the Dvision World. As far as sales go, the first LAND auction sold 5,800 lots in Seoul and New York (PARCEL), whereas the second one sold 4,600 lots in Tokyo and London. With that in mind, the third sale will offer through the primary market approximately 3,800 NFT Lots. For those who are interested to participate, there are two main methods to take part in the third LAND sale. They can either do it through the Dvision Marketplace, which is where they can find Berlin LAND NFTs which will be BNB chain-based NFTs and can be acquired by DVI tokens (BEP-20, or they may acquire Sao Paulo LAND NFTs which shall be obtainable via the Shopify-based Polygon Network marketplace using credit cards, such as PayPal or Coinbase Commercials. The Berlin LAND NFTs will be 2,035 lots while the Sao Paulo LAND NFTs will be 1,783 lots. Key partnerships Dvision has partnered with the Pacifiq IQ team in order to prepare the Shopify Marketplace for the 3rd LAND Sale. As to why Pacific IQ was chosen, the independent consulting firm was founded in 2016 and it specializes in Shopify eCommerce, marketing, and cloud-oriented ERP solutions. With their expertise, the Pacific IQ team was hence put in charge of all Shopify-related tasks, which included NFT Product Setup, setting up the payment gateway, and even the design for the UX/ UI. The Pacific IQ team is also largely responsible for producing the venue where the third LAND Sale will take place using Shopify’s platform. Dvision Network has also been a long-time essential partner of Curvegrid, which has been providing Dvision with a bridge solution that presently supports Dvision’s multi-chain feature and is thus of the utmost importance. Curvegrid’s NFTeapot Shopify App enables Shopify merchants and integration experts like Pacific IQ to quickly add NFT capabilities to their shops. The program additionally makes it a lot easier for consumers to cope with the blockchain-oriented components of NFT buying procedures as it handles them automatically. About Dvision Network The Dvision Network is a blockchain-based NFT metaverse network that strives to be the best in the industry. Dvision Network creates a cutting-edge metaverse environment by using its own VR technology, thereby lowering entry barriers for all sorts of users worldwide. Due to this, it enables designers, businesses, and general users to immerse themselves in a genuinely dynamic metaverse experience. For more information and regular updates, be sure to check out Dvision’s website and Twitter, Medium and Telegram channels. This is a press release. Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the promoted company or any of its affiliates or services. Bitcoin.com is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in the press release. View the full article

The American economy continues to look gloomy and signals pointing toward a looming recession continue to appear. In a note sent to clients this week, Goldman Sachs’ chief economist said the bank envisions the “odds of a recession as roughly 15% in the next 12 months and 35% within the next 24 months.” Furthermore, the renowned financial expert John Mauldin details that he would not be surprised if the stock market crashed by 40%, as he believes a recession is likely due this year. Goldman Prediction: ‘Odds of a Recession Roughly 15% in the Next Year, 35% Within the Next 24 Months’ The U.S. economy is dealing with significant pressures as supply chains are restricted and consumer prices are soaring amid war taking place overseas in Europe. Just recently, Bitcoin.com News reported on last month’s consumer price index data that had shown America’s inflation rate increased sharply to 8.5% in March. A couple days later, our newsdesk explained how the hedge fund manager Michael Burry believes the U.S. Federal Reserve has no intentions of fighting inflation. Moreover, the famed author, Robert Kiyosaki, thinks hyperinflation and depression are already here. In a note sent to investors this week, Goldman Sachs’ chief economist Jan Hatzius detailed Goldman’s forecast and the probability of the U.S. falling into a recession. Hatzius said the Federal Reserve faces a “hard path to a soft landing” and Goldman expects the chances of a U.S. recession to be 35% over the next two years. “Our analysis of historical G10 episodes suggests that although strong economic momentum limits the risk in the near-term, the policy tightening we expect raises the odds of recession. As a result, we now see the odds of a recession as roughly 15% in the next 12 months and 35% within the next 24 months,” Hatzius explained. Hatzius further detailed that historical patterns are showing the economy could get rocky. He noted that 11 out of 14 economic cycles since World War II have led to a recession within a 24-month period. “Taken at face value, these historical patterns suggest the Fed faces a narrow path to a soft landing as it aims to close the jobs-workers gap and bring inflation back towards its 2% target,” Hatzius added. Bridgewater Associates Founder Ray Dalio Expects a ‘Period of Stagflation’ Goldman’s chief economist is one of many predicting a downturn in the U.S. economy in the coming months. Over the last few months, a great number of financial analysts and economists have been attempting to predict the U.S. economy’s future. During an interview with Yahoo Finance published on April 4, Ray Dalio, Bridgewater Associates founder, and co-chief investment executive, said he envisions a stagflation environment. Dalio remarked: So what you have is enough tightening by the Federal Reserve to deal with inflation adequately, and that is too much tightening for the markets and the economy. So the Fed is going to be in a very difficult place a year from now as inflation still remains high and it starts to pinch on both the markets and the economy. I think that most likely what we’re going to have is a period of stagflation. And then you have to understand how to build a portfolio that’s balanced for that kind of environment. Best-Selling Author and Financial Expert John Mauldin: ‘My Instinct Tells Me This Will Not Be a 12-Month Wait’ The well known financial expert John Mauldin is predicting an economic downturn as well, as he recently explained that he would not be surprised if the stock market crashed by 40%. “[Fed chair Jerome] Powell and his crew hope to engineer the fabled ‘soft landing,'” Mauldin opined. “I really doubt they can do it,” he added. Mauldin remarked on how the 2-year Treasury yield recently surpassed the 10-year Treasury yield, which recorded an inverted yield curve. “That’s the opposite of normal. Then again, a bunch of things have been the opposite of normal lately,” Mauldin said. The financial analyst is known for predicting the U.S. recessions that occurred in 2000 and 2008, and he believes the tell-tale signs are no different. “We have many indications recession is near,” the blog post written by Mauldin notes. The financial analyst’s blog post concludes by stating: There is absolutely no way to precisely predict when a recession begins. My instinct tells me this will not be a 12-month wait. I think things just continue to slow down and one day we’ll look up and see a recession. And then a little bit later we’ll be growing again. That’s how these things work. What do you think about the predictions concerning a possible recession in the United States? Do you expect an economic downturn to take place in the near future? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

The National Securities Commission (CNV), which is the Argentinian securities watchdog, recently launched an innovation hub with the goal of advancing conversations about cryptocurrency and fintech investments. This organization will serve as a link between private entities and the institution, to advance new fintech and crypto-regulated instruments to the market. Argentinian Securities Regulator Assigns Fintech And Crypto Special Importance The National Securities Commission (CNV), the Argentinian Securities regulator, is reportedly taking action to streamline the arrival of new fintech and crypto-based investment instruments to the market. The institution recently launched an innovation hub that will link private investors with regulators, to exchange information about the requirements these products must meet to be released to market. Andres Consentino, president of the CNV, was optimistic about the future of this initiative. He stated: We are being proactive in the context of the emergence of crypto assets and fintech, to work together with the sector and generate a regulatory and policy framework in this regard. One of the main concerns behind this new hub, and one of the motivations for its launch, is the number of cryptocurrency scams that have happened in the country since cryptocurrency adoption peaked. On this issue, Consentino stated: This initiative also aims to improve the protection framework for the investor against phenomena of quite unfortunate circumstances that usually occur. Crypto Investment Products Coming Soon This innovation hub might usher the new era of regulated crypto-linked investment products in Argentina. This is the opinion of Andres Ponte, president of Matba Rofex, an investment brokerage company, who stated these products will be launched in the short term. There are two objectives behind the regulation of cryptocurrency investments in the country according to local sources. One is the protection of the investors that are seeking to put funds in crypto markets through the launch of regulated products. Another one is the benefit the national tax agency might enjoy from these products that, due to their nature, cannot be hidden from the AFIP, the national tax agency. With the regulated instruments in place, the capacity for collecting taxes on these cryptocurrencies would be almost certain, different from what is occurring now, when most of the cryptocurrency movements and investments are made in exchanges and platforms outside the country. In this line of thinking, a law project was presented in the Senate on April 1 seeking to tax all properties Argentinians have in foreign countries, including cryptocurrency, to pay a part of the debt the country has with the International Monetary Fund. What do you think about the launch of the innovation hub in Argentina? Tell us in the comments section below. View the full article

A bitcoin ATM operator has been indicted in New York for running an illegal business “marketed towards individuals engaged in criminal activity.” The district attorney in charge described: “Robert Taylor allegedly went to great lengths to keep his bitcoin kiosk business as secret as possible to attract a clientele that would pay top dollar for anonymity.” Operator of 46 Bitcoin ATMs Charged Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. announced Wednesday that Robert Taylor has been indicted “for operating an illegal bitcoin ATM business that he marketed towards individuals engaged in criminal activity.” The announcement states: Taylor operated bitcoin kiosks in at least 46 locations in New York City, mostly in laundromats, as well as locations in New Jersey and Miami. Between 2017 and 2018, the 35-year-old “converted more than $5.6 million of his customers’ cash into bitcoin while charging a fee of between 10% and 20%,” the district attorney detailed. Taylor is charged “with multiple counts of operating an unlicensed money transmission business, criminal tax fraud in the third degree, and offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree.” Bragg described, “Robert Taylor allegedly went to great lengths to keep his bitcoin kiosk business as secret as possible to attract a clientele that would pay top dollar for anonymity,” elaborating: As the use of cryptocurrencies like bitcoin proliferate, they continue to attract a wide range of bad actors who are hoping to evade law enforcement. The announcement further notes: In total, the search warrants resulted in the recovery of $250,000 in cash from Taylor’s apartment, as well as 20 bitcoin ATMs containing $44,000 in cash. Forensic analysis showed that more than $5.6 million in cash was deposited into Taylor’s bitcoin ATMs between September 2017 and November 2018. More than $590,000 in fees were collected and approximately $160,000 were deposited into Taylor’s personal bank accounts. However, Taylor only reported an income of approximately $3,000 on his 2017 tax returns and a loss of $140,000 on his 2018 tax returns. In addition, his business did not have a money transmission license or a virtual currency business license (Bitlicense) from the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS). It is also not licensed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). What do you think about this case? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

Grayscale Investments’ CEO explains that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) could potentially violate the Administrative Procedure Act by not approving a spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). SEC Approving Spot Bitcoin ETF Is ‘a Matter of When and Not If’ The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has now approved not one but two different structures of bitcoin futures exchange-traded funds (ETFs). This has led to the optimism in the crypto industry that the securities watchdog is closer to approving a spot bitcoin ETF. The first structure utilizes the Investment Company Act of 1940 (40 Act). Most proposed bitcoin futures ETF to date are filed under this Act. The second uses the Securities Act of 1933 (33 Act). The Teucrium Bitcoin Futures ETF was approved earlier this month using the latter structure. Grayscale Investments CEO Michael Sonnenshein explained to CNBC last week: “From the SEC standpoint, there were several protections that 40 Act products have that 33 [Securities Act of 1933] products don’t have, but never ever did those protections address the SEC’s concern over the underlying bitcoin market and the potential for fraud or manipulation.” He continued: “So the fact that they’ve now evolved their thinking and approved a 33 Act product with Teucrium really invalidates that argument and talks to the linkage between the bitcoin futures and the underlying bitcoin spot markets that give the futures contracts their value.” Sonnenshein opined: If the SEC can’t look at two like issues, the futures ETF and the spot ETF, through the same lens, then it is, in fact, potentially grounds for an Administrative Procedure Act violation. The Administrative Procedure Act (APA) governs the process by which federal agencies develop and issue regulations. Grayscale filed with the SEC on Oct. 19 last year to convert its flagship bitcoin trust (GBTC) into a bitcoin ETF. GBTC is Grayscale’s largest product with almost $26 billion in assets under management as of April 15. If approved by the SEC, GBTC will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange, instead of on OTCQX. The company is waiting to hear back from the SEC in early July about whether the filing will be approved. The CEO has hinted that suing the SEC is a possible option the company will take if the agency does not approve the GBTC conversion. Commenting on whether the SEC will approve a spot bitcoin ETF, Sonnenshein stressed: It really is, in our opinion, a matter of when and not if. Do you think the SEC will soon approve a spot bitcoin ETF? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

Fidelity Investments, one of the largest financial services firms with more than $11 trillion under administration, is launching exchange-traded funds (ETFs) focusing on the crypto ecosystem and the metaverse. “We continue to see demand, particularly from young investors, for access to the rapidly growing industries,” said Fidelity. Fidelity Sees Demand for Crypto, Metaverse Investments Fidelity Investments announced the launch of a couple of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) this week to offer investors exposure to the crypto industry and the metaverse. The first is called “Fidelity Crypto Industry and Digital Payments ETF (FDIG).” It invests in companies that “support the broader digital assets ecosystem, including those involved in crypto mining and trading, blockchain technology, and digital payments processing,” the firm described. However, this crypto ETF will not offer direct exposure to cryptocurrency. The second is called “Fidelity Metaverse ETF (FMET).” It invests in companies that “develop, manufacture, distribute, or sell products or services related to establishing and enabling the metaverse.” They include firms focusing on “computing hardware and components, digital infrastructure, design and engineering software, gaming technology and software, web development and content services, and smartphone and wearable technology​.” The new ETFs will be available on or about April 21 for individual investors and financial advisors to purchase commission-free through Fidelity’s online brokerage platforms, the announcement details. The company noted that with the new products added, Fidelity will offer 51 ETFs altogether. Fidelity is a major financial services firm with assets under administration of $11.1 trillion as of February. Headquartered in Boston, the company serves more than 40 million individual investors worldwide. Greg Friedman, Fidelity’s head of ETF management and strategy, commented: We continue to see demand, particularly from young investors, for access to the rapidly growing industries in the digital ecosystem, and these two thematic ETFs offer investors exposure in a familiar investment vehicle. What do you think about Fidelity launching crypto and metaverse ETFs? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

Non-fungible token (NFT) sales saw a small uptick over the last week as $658.4 million in NFT sales were recorded, up 3.35% in seven days. Out of 15 blockchains, Polygon-based NFT sales saw the largest increase in volume, jumping 106.68% this week. Moreover, over the last seven days, an NFT collection called Moonbirds saw the largest sales volume gathering $231.9 million. Weekly NFT Sales Record a Slight Increase NFT sales volume managed to increase slightly this week, as sales jumped 3.35% higher than last week’s sales. The sales volume stemming from 15 different blockchain networks saw $658.4 million in sales this past week. Seven days ago, on April 10, sales volume the week prior had dropped by 13%. This week, Ethereum recorded $562.9 million in sales, up 3.74% higher than last week. The largest sales volume percentage increase out of all 15 blockchains, compared to last week was Polygon, jumping 106.68% with $7.3 million in sales. BSC-based NFT sales jumped 58.89% higher this week, and NFT sales from Arbitrum increased by 30.74%. Wax blockchain NFT sales were down 39.92% over the last seven days with $2.2 million. The NFT collection capturing this week’s top sales volume was Moonbirds as the NFT collection recorded $231.9 million in sales volume. The second-largest sales volume stemmed from the Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC) collection, as it saw $26.8 million. MAYC was followed by Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) sales, which gathered $22.8 million in sales in the last seven days. Other notable collections that made it into the top ten NFT collections by weekly sales volume include compilations like Azuki, Cryptopunks, Clonex, Imposter Genesis, MOAR, Beanz, and Doodles respectively. Statistics further show this week’s top NFT sale was Cryptopunk 7756, which sold for 1,050 ether or $3.2 million at the time of settlement. Bored Ape Yacht Club 8537 sold for 200.69 ether or $604,854, and Azuki 9759 was sold for 195.3 wrapped ether (WETH) or $579,214. Those three NFTs represented 0.672% of the $658.4 million in NFT sales volume during the last seven days. The top fractional NFT projects by market valuation include ape punk (APE$) worth $3 million, angry doge (ANFD) with $1.99 million, and antique zombie shards (ZOMB) is worth $1.27 million today. The most expensive floor price today is held by the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFT collection, which has a floor price of 103.5 ETH at the time of writing. BAYC’s floor value is followed by PROOF Collective (78 ETH), Cryptopunks (63.69 ETH), Bored Ape Chemistry Club (34.33 ETH), and Azuki (26.5 ETH). What do you think about the week’s NFT sales action? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

As the crypto economy hovers just under $2 trillion in value, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) mining devices are making decent profits. While ASIC miners can still mine ethereum, a 1.5 gigahash (GH/s) Ethash mining device can rake in $51.58 per day in profits. SHA256 bitcoin miners that can process at speeds up to 110 terahash, can obtain $13.74 per day in bitcoin profits. Crypto Miners Continue to Gather Profits, Top Ethereum Mining Rig Can Get an Estimated $51 per Day in Profit The price of bitcoin (BTC) is still down roughly 40% since the crypto asset’s all-time high (ATH) and ethereum (ETH) has lost 37% against the U.S. dollar since the cryptocurrency’s ATH. Despite the drop in value, bitcoin and ethereum miners are still making decent profits as both networks have seen their hashrate reach ATHs in 2022. Bitcoin’s hashrate has been running high above 200 exahash per second (EH/s) and Ethereum’s hashrate is 1.12 petahash per second (PH/s). In mid-April 2022, the most profitable crypto asset to mine between both leading crypto assets is ethereum. For instance, a single Innosilicon A11 Pro ether mining rig, that processes the Ethash algorithm at 1.5 GH/s with electric costs at $0.12 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), can get an estimated $51.58 per day in profits. That mining rig, however, bought directly from Innosilicon will cost the buyer $18,888 or 0.468090 BTC, at the time of writing. A single Innosilicon A10 Pro+ ether mining device (0.7 GH/s) will cost $9,000 or 0.223042 BTC, according to the company’s website. After accounting for the purchase price, a single Innosilicon A10 Pro+ at 0.7 GH/s or 700 megahash per second (MH/s), can profit by $25.28 per day. Today’s Top Bitcoin Mining Rigs Are Still Profitable, Next-Generation SHA256 Machines to Reach the Public in Q3 — Kadena, Scrypt, X11 Miners Profit The most profitable bitcoin miner in mid-April 2022, is the Bitmain Antminer S19 Pro, a machine that processes the SHA256 consensus algorithm at 110 terahash per second (TH/s). Using today’s bitcoin (BTC) exchange rates, a single Antminer S19 Pro will get $13.74 per day in profits. Microbt’s Whatsminer M30S++ with 110 TH/s gets $13.52 per day using today’s BTC exchange rates and electric costs at $0.12 per kWh. At press time, an Antminer S19 Pro costs $9,460 per unit and the Whatsminer M30S++ $7,997 per unit. Just recently, Bitmain announced the launch of two new bitcoin (BTC) miners called the Antminer S19 XP (140 TH/s), and the Antminer S19 Pro+ Hyd (198 TH/s). The S19 XP using today’s BTC exchange rates and electric costs at $0.12 per kWh, can profit by $20.73 per day. While Bitmain’s S19 Pro+ Hyd, using the same figures, can currently profit by $25.89 per day. In addition to Bitmain, Microbt has revealed a new bitcoin miner called the Whatsminer M50S (126 TH/s) and the M50 (114 TH/s). According to both of the mining manufacturers, the S19 XP, S19 Pro+ Hyd, M50S, and M50 will be shipping in Q3 of 2022. Besides Ethash and SHA256 miners, ASICs that can mine Kadena, Scrypt, and X11 are profitable as well. Kadena miners mine KDA, while Scrypt devices can mine litecoin (LTC), dogecoin (DOGE), digibyte (DGB), and a few others. While X11 machines can mine dash (DASH), cannabiscoin (CANN), and axe (AXE). Kadena ASIC miners can get an estimated $50.05 per day and a Scrypt miner can get an estimated $51.11 per day. A top of the line X11 mining rig can produce an estimated $16.96 per day using current exchange rates and $0.12 per kWh in electrical costs. What do you think about today’s top machines and the leading crypto assets that are still profitable to mine? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

A bill updating Russia’s tax law to incorporate provisions pertaining to cryptocurrencies has been filed with the State Duma, the lower house of parliament. The legislation is tailored to regulate the taxation of sales and profits in the country’s market for digital assets. Russian Deputies to Review Law on Crypto-Related Taxation The federal government of Russia has submitted to the State Duma a draft law introducing rules for the taxation of transactions involving cryptocurrencies. The bill will make the necessary amendments to Russia’s tax code to answer a range of outstanding questions. One of the aspects is the application of value-added tax (VAT). According to the authors, VAT should be levied on services provided by operators of platforms issuing or exchanging digital financial assets (DFA), a term encompassing cryptocurrencies in current Russian law. The tax base for “digital rights,” another legal definition that covers security and utility tokens, will be determined as the difference between the sale and acquisition price of the token, Forklog reported, quoting the document. Russian entities owning tokens will pay 13% of the revenues from their digital rights while the tax rate for foreign companies will be 15%. The issuers of digital financial assets will be obliged to file tax reports on the parties involved and the transactions made during the current year by Feb. 1 of next year. The law will not affect Russians holding cryptocurrencies, Andrey Tugarin, managing partner at the law firm GMT Legal, told the crypto news outlet. He explained that the bill concerns only the market for digital financial assets and digital rights. The tax regime it introduces mirrors the one applicable to the securities market. Parallel to the tax bill, the Russian government is also preparing to file a new draft law “On Digital Currency,” recently revised and submitted to the cabinet by the Ministry of Finance. The department is a proponent of the legalization of cryptocurrencies while the Bank of Russia opposes it. Expectations are that the two pieces of legislation will both be adopted during the spring session of the State Duma. They will complement the law “On Digital Financial Assets,” which went into force in January 2021 and only partially regulated the country’s crypto sector, to establish a comprehensive legal framework for cryptocurrencies. Do you expect Russia to quickly adopt the new crypto laws? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

Transaction fees on the Ethereum network are dropping again after average fees saw a brief spike on April 5 jumping to $43 per transfer. 12 days later, average ether fees are close to dropping below $10 per transaction and median-sized fees have slid below $4 per transaction. Moreover, layer two (L2) transaction fees have also dropped in recent times as the lowest L2 rate today is $0.03 per transfer. Average and Median Ethereum Fees Drop From mid-March up until the first week of April, Ethereum’s average network fees rose from a low of $5.98 per transfer to $43.41 on April 5, 2022. That’s an increase of 625% but after April 5, the average ether gas fee started to drop once again to much lower levels. Today, April 17, 2022, Ethereum’s average network fee to simply send ETH onchain via layer one (L2), is 0.0034 ETH or $10.32 per transfer. The average network fee is dynamic, not an exact science, and it always changes. It’s also not a hard mandate as the average fee simply represents the average amount of ether users are currently willing to pay to get their ethereum transactions confirmed. The median-sized ethereum transfer fee reflects the fact that network users are paying less than the average to get their ethereum transactions confirmed. On April 17, the median-sized ethereum gas fee is currently 0.0011 ETH or $3.47 per transaction. Ethereum users paying median-sized network fees are paying 66.37% less than those willing to pay the average gas fee. Similar to the average fee 12 days ago, the median-sized ether fee spiked to $10.31 per transfer on April 5. Again, as mentioned above, the average and median fee is simply the cost to send ether as sending an ERC20 token or swapping a token and interacting with a smart contract will cost a lot more. Ethereum L2 Fees Slide Lower, Bitcoin Fees 88-90% Lower Statistics on Sunday indicate that layer two (L2) fees have dropped much lower in recent times as well. Currently, the L2 rollup solution Metis Network is the cheapest on Sunday and will cost $0.03 per transfer. Essentially that means transactions on the Metis Network are 99.70% cheaper than the average onchain transaction fee. In order to swap ERC20 tokens, it will cost $0.16 per transaction using Metis today. Loopring is the second least expensive L2 rail to use this weekend as it costs $0.05 to send ethereum (ETH). The cost to swap tokens using Loopring is $0.76, at the time of writing. Zksync currently charges $0.05 per transaction as well to send ether and swapping coins will cost around $0.13 per transfer. L2 participants can also leverage Boba Network, Optimism, Polygon Hermez, Aribitrum, and the Aztec Network as well. The optimistic rollup solution Aribitrum One currently costs $0.45 to send ether per transaction and to swap coins it costs $0.62 per transaction. While onchain fees on Ethereum are lower today, bitcoin (BTC) transfer fees are much lower onchain in comparison. At the time of writing, the cost to send BTC on average is 0.000000084 BTC per byte, which equates to 0.000028 BTC or $1.15 per transaction. The average-sized BTC fee is 88.85% lower than the average ETH fee. Median-sized fees on the Bitcoin network are only 0.0000082 BTC or $0.332 per transfer on Sunday, which is 90.43% cheaper than median-sized fees on Ethereum. What do you think about the current cost to send ethereum? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

Another spicy week of crypto news heads into the weekend, with Mexico’s third-richest billionaire advising “save your skin” from hyperinflation by buying bitcoin, Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary predicting that bitcoin mining will “save the world,” Bitcoin.com News noting eerie similarities between the current great monetary shift and the creation of the U.S. Federal Reserve, and SHIB achieving some notable burn statistics. Without further ado, this is your bite-sized digest of the week’s hottest crypto news, the Bitcoin.com News Week in Review. Buy Bitcoin, ‘Save Your Skin’ — Mexico’s Third Richest Billionaire The third-richest billionaire in Mexico, Ricardo Salinas Pliego, has shared his experience of living through hyperinflation. He warned that the U.S. and several other civilized countries are “going exactly the same route” his country went through in the 1980s. He warned: “The bad news is that the U.S., and Japan, and the U.K., and the euroblock — they are going exactly the same route my country went in the 80s.” Read More The Eerie Similarities of Today’s Great Monetary Shift and the Panic-Led Creation of the Federal Reserve System While many Americans believe the U.S. Federal Reserve is the caretaker of the country’s monetary system, it’s also believed to be one of the worst financial institutions ever created. In 2022, amid a gloomy economy, war, and a number of global crises, the possibility of a great monetary shift has increased. Read More Kevin O’Leary Predicts Trillions of Dollars Will Flood Into Crypto — Says Bitcoin Mining Will ‘Save the World’ Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary, aka Mr. Wonderful, has predicted that trillions of dollars will flow into cryptocurrencies, particularly bitcoin. In addition, he said bitcoin mining will “save the world.” Read More Shiba Inu Burn Rate Hits 26,000%, 1.4 Billion SHIB Burned in 24 Hours Last Saturday, the second-largest meme-based cryptocurrency, shiba inu, has seen a lot of tokens burned. According to statistics, the network’s burn rate increased by 26,592%, with 1.4 billion SHIB destroyed in 24 hours. Read More What do you think? Will bitcoin save your skin from hyperinflation and can bitcoin mining save the world? Is the panic being felt globally going to contribute to something akin to the creation of the Federal Reserve all over again? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. View the full article

Last December, the renowned professional skateboarder Tony Hawk released his “Last Trick” non-fungible token (NFT) collection via the NFT marketplace Autograph. Next week, Hawk will be auctioning the skateboards he used during his last tricks, and each of the NFTs will come with the physical skateboards signed by Hawk. Tony Hawk to Drop Another NFT Collection via Autograph Tony Hawk has plans to launch another NFT collection tied to the skateboards he used in his “Last Trick” NFT collection launched in December. The “Last Trick” digital collectibles compilation was sold on the Autograph NFT marketplace, a platform launched by the seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady. Hawk announced the latest NFT sale of the last trick skateboards on Saturday, and explained that an individual named Garry DeBoer was randomly chosen to win his Frontside Cab board. Autograph tweeted about the event as well on Saturday and said: “Congrats to Autograph collector Garry DeBoer. A piece of Tony Hawk history is now yours to cherish forever. The remaining boards Tony used to retire five signature moves will be auctioned starting Tuesday of next week.” There are five skateboards revealed in the latest Autograph-based Tony Hawk NFT collection and the first one (Frontside Cab board) will be dropped to DeBoer on Monday. The signed Finger Flip skateboard will be auctioned on Tuesday at 12 p.m. (ET) and the signed Gymnast Plant skateboard will be auctioned the same day. In addition to those two NFTs, the signed Magic Dance skateboard and signed Varial 540 skateboard will be sold on Tuesday as well. The management of the auction, Autograph’s terms explain, will be administered by the Draftkings Marketplace. The terms also note that after the Tony Hawk skateboard NFT auctions complete, Autograph will be obligated to send the physical skateboards via the USPS, Fedex, or UPS. Hawk’s NFTs are popular on the Autograph platform among other popular athletes such as Wayne Gretsky, Derek Jeter, Tom Brady, and Simone Biles. The top Tony Hawk NFT collector on Autograph is a user named “@laukialovforeve” with a score of 188,640. What do you think about the latest Tony Hawk NFT collection that will also reward auction winners with the physical skateboards? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

Real estate tokenization is set to be incorporated into Oman Capital Markets Authority (OCMA)’s virtual asset regulatory framework. According to an advisor with the authority, the tokenizing of real estate will open investment opportunities for local and foreign investors. Real Estate Tokenization Creates Investment Opportunities Oman Capital Market Authority (OCMA) is set to include real estate tokenization in its virtual asset regulatory framework, a report quoting an advisor of the authority has said. According to the report, Oman expects to complete drafting the virtual assets regulatory framework by Q3 of 2022. The advisor, Kemal Rizadi is reported to have made the remarks about tokenizing real estate property while attending the Real Estate Exhibition and Conference that was held in Muscat, Oman. “The Regulatory Framework for Virtual Assets and Virtual asset service providers currently being established will allow the issuance of virtual assets such as real estate tokens for the first time in the Sultanate of Oman,” Rizadi is quoted explaining. The advisor suggested the tokenization of real estate — the supposed conversion of real estate property into several blockchain-based tokens — will likely “open up investment opportunities in the real estate sector for local and foreign investors.” Internationally Benchmarked Regulatory Framework As previously reported by Bitcoin.com News, OCMA announced in January it was inviting bids from firms interested in helping the country set up a regulatory framework for virtual assets. Interested bidders had to submit tenders before March 23. Meanwhile, Rizadi is quoted in the report revealing that the capital markets authority is currently working with experts whom he said will help Oman “draft an internationally benchmarked regulatory framework.” What are your thoughts on this story? Tell us what you think in the comments section below. View the full article

The Central Bank of Brazil has confirmed that the institution will run a pilot test regarding the implementation of its proposed central bank digital currency (CBDC), the digital real. Roberto Campos Neto, president of the bank, also stated that this new test will include a fixed supply of the mentioned token, and detailed this pilot will be executed during the last six months of this year. Central Bank of Brazil Advances CBDC Project The Central Bank of Brazil has offered details about the advancements it has made regarding its CBDC project, the digital real. Its president, Roberto Campos Neto, hinted at an unspecified test involving the usage of the currency during the final six months of this year. At an event, he declared: This is a way to create currency digitization without creating a break in bank balance sheets. This project should have some kind of pilot in the second half of the year. Campos Neto also gave hints about the way in which this currency will be used, saying it will be linked to the reserve transference system, a kind of fiat-based payments system. With this pilot program, Brazil could advance to the vanguard of countries that have CBDC programs in South America. Campos Neto also offered his take regarding the state of the cryptocurrency market in Brazil. He explained that cryptocurrencies are viewed more as investment assets than as a payment method. However, this could change as more adoption is achieved globally and locally. Path to a CBDC and Regulatory Panorama The Central Bank of Brazil has been advancing with its digital real project since last year when it redacted the guidelines that a Brazilian CBDC would have to follow, and announced it was still studying and debating the possibility of the issuance of such a currency. However, in March, the institution selected nine institutions out of 47 proposals that will be able to produce projects designed to present the opportunities that a hypothetical digital real might offer in different sectors. Brazil has also been making advancements when it comes to legislating to approve a unified cryptocurrency legal framework. In this sense, deputies and senators have declared they will combine several proposals into one that will be presented to the Brazilian Congress. The rapporteurs of these initiatives expect this new hybrid proposal to be approved in the next months. What do you think about the digital real pilot program? Tell us in the comments section below. View the full article