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Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has revealed that talks with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) regarding the regulation of cryptocurrencies are ongoing. The securities regulator also reiterated that due to a CBN directive that was issued on February 7, 2021, the crypto guidelines it issued in September 2020 remain suspended. Crypto Guidelines Set Aside However, the regulator promises that at the conclusion of its engagements with the CBN, stakeholders will be informed of the outcome. Meanwhile, in his comments that were made during a Q1 Capital Market Committee (CMC) virtual conference, Lamido Yuguda, the director-general of SEC, tries to justify the regulator’s decision to suspend its own guidelines. He said: Because of the lack of access to commercial bank accounts, we had to suspend our own guidelines of September 2020, the implementation of that circular is suspended until these operators are able to have access to Nigerian bank accounts. He adds this was the only logical step to take since no one can operate “in the Nigerian capital market if they do not have access to a Nigerian bank account.” Support For All Fintechs Still, Yuguda claims the SEC is “very supportive of fintechs” after the regulator “invested so much in developing a framework for supporting fintechs in the various areas.” He also adds: In all other areas, nothing has changed, but in the area of crypto assets, you know that with the recent prohibition by the CBN on access to Nigerian bank accounts by crypto exchanges, that market has been disrupted. As reported by Bitcoin.com News, the CBN issued a directive that prohibits banks from facilitating transactions that involve crypto entities. The CBN directive appeared to contradict an earlier SEC circular that seemingly endorsed cryptocurrencies. The ensuing confusion soon forced the SEC to abandon its crypto guidelines and to express support for the CBN’s decision. However, in his latest comments, Yuguda attempts to reassure the crypto industry by stating that the regulator will “continue to engage players and support them to operate lawfully.” Ultimately, the SEC says it wants “to ensure the delivery of safe products and services without stifling innovation.” Do you think the SEC will succeed in convincing the CBN to back down? Tell us what you think in the comments section below. View the full article

Back in mid-February, Bitcoin.com News reported on Miami’s Mayor Francis Suarez supporting the idea of the city holding bitcoin in the treasury and allowing tax payments in bitcoin as well. On April 15, 2021, reports show that the city may introduce the tax payments concept soon, as the District 8 county commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins has pushed for the invocation of a Miami-Dade digital currency task force. A Resolution for a Cryptocurrency Task Force Has Been Submitted to an Infrastructure Committee in Miami-Dade A few years ago at The North American Bitcoin Conference (TNABC) in Miami, Mayor Francis Suarez told the audience that he wanted the city to become a cryptocurrency and blockchain hub for innovation. Later, as digital currencies have seen fresh new price highs in 2021, Suarez has pushed for the city to hold bitcoin (BTC) in the treasury and wants to allow tax payments in BTC as well. At the time the city commissioners voted in support for the crypto infrastructure and holding the leading crypto asset in the state’s treasury as well. Now the ability to pay Miami-Dade taxes may come to fruition in the near future. District 8 county commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins told the news publication Miami New Times a resolution has been submitted to the city Infrastructure, Operations, and Innovations Committee. Miami New Times’ report shows the resolution hopes to invoke a 13-member cryptocurrency task force dedicated to addressing the solutions at hand. Once the group is formed they will examine the idea of residents paying taxes with bitcoin. “The item would establish a task force that could delve into the feasibility of using cryptocurrency in Miami-Dade County, to explore any potential benefits and pitfalls that could result from its use. It is important to explore all avenues that can support an expanding tech and startup presence to benefit our economy,” Cohen Higgins said in an interview. District 8 County Commissioner Hopes for a Tech Boom to Root Itself in South Miami-Dade County Suarez has been trying to attract the technology industry to come to Miami for years and many business moguls from places like Silicon Valley have taken him up on his offer. “Visiting Miami right now and I think I’ve seen more people from SF here than I saw in SF last year,” the cofounder of Ibuying startup Opendoor, JD Ross tweeted on January 10. The city is also home to a bustling crypto community, conferences like TNABC, and bitcoin ATMs across the city. District 8 county commissioner Cohen Higgins has explained that a tech boom in Miami would be welcomed. The cryptocurrency task force will need to get approval from the full county commission in order to move forward with these concepts. “I would love for the tech boom that’s already underway to root itself in South Miami-Dade County,” Cohen Higgins concluded. “I would love for them to consider us and for us to have a seat at the table. If we were to have a tech or innovation park [in South Dade], that would be really helpful,” she added. What do you think about Miami looking to introduce bitcoin acceptance for taxes? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

The moderators of the famous Reddit forum Wallstreetbets, known for putting Gamestop (GME) stock prices on the map as a worldwide trending topic, lifted a ban on all discussions related to bitcoin, ethereum, and dogecoin. However, the decision has been reversed after a recently published Bloomberg article. Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin Were Allowed to Discuss for Just One Day On April 14, 2021, Wallstreetbets moderators issued a statement, commenting about why they’ve been banning crypto-related discussions within their threads, citing that its main focus is the stock market. They continued to elaborate on the matter: After much deliberation, we’ve decided to allow for discussion about only BTC, ETH and DOGE only inside of a daily Crypto discussion thread as to not burden everyone with crypto spam. All rules will still apply outside of the thread but for now please keep it in the daily thread only as we gauge if this is something that is right for our sub. Just to be clear, we are not a crypto subreddit. We’re just trying to find a place for you guys within our subreddit. The decision of allowing bitcoin (BTC), ethereum (ETH), and dogecoin (DOGE) discussions by Wallstreetbets attracted lots of comments into the statement’s thread. Some users even joked with the recent Coinbase listing in the stock market. “Ah, someone must have bought a position into COIN. Great timing mods,” said a Reddit user. Bloomberg’s Coverage Helped to Reverse the Ban Lifting In the wake of the decision, mainstream media echoed the announcement, such as Bloomberg, who wrote an article headlined “Wallstreetbets Bows to Crypto Wave, Allows Bitcoin Discussion.” Such an article, plus other ones published in the press, displeased Wallstreetbets, who reinstated the ban on Thursday. A moderator commented in the thread, “RIP WSB CRYPTO 4/14-2021 – 4/15-2021”: Due to the article that was written @bloomberg who somehow felt that ‘Wallstreetbets Bows to Crypto.’ Crypto discussion is banned indefinitely. I’ve read a lot of dumb articles written about WSB. This one takes the cake. P.S. Like always. Please be respectful. Wallstreetbets members made the headlines at the beginning of 2021 for pumping almost 2,000% of the video game retailer Gamestop’s stock prices via short squeeze. What do you think about the decision taken by Wallstreetbets? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

PRESS RELEASE. Blockchain eco project SafeEarth has donated over $100,000 to TheOceanCleanUp charity with more donations planned for other global charities. 16th April, 2021, London, UK — SafeEarth, a blockchain eco project, has donated over $100,000 to community selected charity TheOceanCleanUp. The donated funds will help towards the removal of plastic waste from the planet. This generous donation represents the first act of SafeEarth’s continuing initiative to help charities across the globe. The money was raised from SAFEEARTH token transaction fees. From each token transaction a portion of the fees will continue to be used for further donations to charities that focus on green initiatives as SafeEarth looks to effect a lasting and positive change on the planet. The Ocean Cleanup Head of IT Steven Bink offered his thanks to Safe Earth on Twitter, stating: “Dear SafeEarth community. On behalf of the entire crew at The Ocean Cleanup, I would like to thank you for this very generous donation. We are also honored that you chose The Ocean Cleanup to be the first charity to receive this gift from @SafeEarthETH” Safe Earth & Earth Fund Deforestation, pollution, global warming and many other factors have had an adverse effect on the environment for decades. As the world shifts more towards renewables and eco-friendly alternatives, initiatives like that of Safe Earth represent a changing mentality in industry SafeEarth’s sole focus is to generate capital and build a community which is able to repair the ecological damage done to the planet. Safe Earth also collaborates with another green charity called The Earth Fund, which has raised around 50 ETH ($125,000 at the time of writing) to be used for similar causes. #PlasticChallenge As a part of their plan to raise awareness for ecological causes SafeEarth have also started a #PlasticChallenge on twitter, which urges people to get rid of plastic waste. The challenge (which launched on 27th of March) rewards users from a prize pool of $3,600 in SAFEEARTH tokens. In the short time since the challenge began the SAFEEARTH token has been listed on the number one DEX Uniswap, recorded $3 million in trading volume and locked away more than $1.5 million in liquidity. SAFEEARTH Token Burn & Benefits The SAFEEARTH token is a deflationary asset that uses an autonomous yield and liquidity generation protocol. Each transaction charges a total of 4% in fees, which is then broken up evenly with 1% going to charities, 1% refunded to holders, 1% for advertising and 1% token lock-ups to increase liquidity. By burning at least 50% of the total supply after launch, (which will go to a black hole address) SafeEarth ensures increased token scarcity and liquidity. $SAFEMARS $SAFEMARS is the sister token to SafeEarth and available on PancakeSwap exchange. The token uses very similar tokenomics to SAFEEARTH and over 50% of the tokens have already been burned. As none of the transaction fees from SafeMars go towards charity the company has chosen to give more back to users, with a total of 2% going instantly back to the holders wallets and the other 2% is auto-locked to increase scarcity and liquidity. Right now the number of $SAFEMARS holders is growing steadily with 93,699 holders at the time of writing. Save Earth Through Safe Earth Harnessing blockchain technology through it’s unique protocol in the interest of both charitable giving and community incentives is helping SafeEarth to stand out from its competition. This $100,000 donation is just the beginning of the company’s mission to effect a lasting and positive change to the planet. SafeEarth blockchain eco project is already gearing up for another large donation with another 35 ETH (roughly $87,600) reserved for 5 charities that focus on humanitarian causes, such as access to clean water and wildlife preservation. The charities will be chosen by the SafeEarth community and will be announced on Earth Day, April 22nd, 2021. Media Contact Details Contact Name: Bitcoin PR Buzz Press Team Contact Email: press@bitcoinprbuzz.com Learn more about SafeEarth — https://safeearthcrypto.com/ Buy SafeEarth Coin on Uniswap — https://app.uniswap.org/#/swap Take off with SafeMars — https://www.safemarscrypto.com/index.html About Bitcoin PR Buzz Bitcoin PR Buzz has been proudly serving the crypto press release distribution needs of blockchain start-ups for over 9 years. Get your Bitcoin Press Release Distribution today. SafeEarth is the source of this content. This Press Release is for informational purposes only. The information does not constitute investment advice or an offer to invest. 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 popular meme-based crypto-asset dogecoin has seen phenomenal gains during the last few days. On April 16, 2021, the digital currency featuring the likeness of the Shiba Inu dog tapped an all-time high at $0.44 per token. However, the cost to send a transaction in dogecoin has jumped to that price as well on Friday. Who Let the DOGE Out? Dogecoin (DOGE) has spiked massively this week in value shocking everyone watching digital currency markets in action. DOGE jumped to a high of $0.44 per unit on Friday morning at 9:45 a.m. (EST). At 11:16 a.m. (EST), DOGE 24-hour gains have jumped to 187.22% and seven-day gains have spiked over 497.11% against the U.S. dollar. Against bitcoin (BTC), dogecoin has gained 465.06% this week. Meanwhile, at the same time frame, stats also show that dogecoin has gained 3,872.55% in a mere three months. 509.30% during the course of the last month, and a whopping 18,299.46% against the U.S. dollar during the last 12 months. DOGE transaction fees have jumped as well and the average transaction now costs 1.25 DOGE or $0.465 USD according to bitinfocharts.com. The statistics show in recent weeks as dogecoin (DOGE) values rise, DOGE network fees follow suit. Dogecoin has also been getting a lot of attention from celebrities and businesses like Slim Jim, the famous beef jerky maker. “To kinda quote a movie ‘Doge keeps going up, but our pricing at [the] Dallas Mavs Shop stays the same,’” Mark Cuban tweeted on Friday. “We just set a 24-hour record for merch sales in Doge,” the investor added. At 11:00 a.m. (EST), dogecoin (DOGE) markets captured the 5th market position in terms of market valuation. At that time frame, DOGE’s overall market valuation was worth $50.35 billion. Some crypto advocates have been ecstatic and have been rooting DOGE on while others have called it “dumb money.” At 12:33 a.m. on April 15, 2021, Tesla’s Elon Musk tweeted about DOGE once again. The Tesla CEO shared a meme and said: “Doge Barking at the Moon.” Subsequently, dogecoin prices started to climb relentlessly after that tweet. On April 20, 2021, otherwise known as “4:20 Day” for many cannabis proponents, will also be “Doge Day,” according to a number of fans. “This day might push it to $1,” tweeted Christopher Muñoz on Thursday. Galaxy Digital’s Mike Novogratz took a jab at dogecoin (DOGE) and XRP during his latest interview with Marketwatch when he called them “weird coins.” Because tokens like these have been spiking, Novogratz has warned of a crypto market “washout.” Are you interested in watching dogecoin (DOGE) markets in real-time? Check out markets.Bitcoin.com today! What do you think about dogecoin soaring to new heights on Friday? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

The Federal Reserve chairman believes that cryptocurrencies are “really vehicles for speculation” and “No one is using them for payments.” He then compared crypto to gold. His comments about cryptocurrency followed Coinbase’s direct listing on Nasdaq. Fed Chair Powell Thinks Crypto Is for Speculation Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell talked about cryptocurrency in an interview with The Economic Club of New York on Wednesday. The event took place amid Coinbase’s IPO via a direct listing on Nasdaq. With the rising popularity of bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, he was asked if he was worried about the impact they may have on the economy and the ability for people to use them as payments. Firstly, “We think of them more as crypto assets,” Powell said, adding: What people call cryptocurrencies, they’re really vehicles for speculation. No one is using them for payments, for example, like the dollar. The Fed chair proceeded to compare cryptocurrency to gold in terms of how it is used for speculation. “For thousands of years, human beings have given gold a special value that it doesn’t have,” he said. “Nonetheless, for thousands of years, they have done that.” Noting that bitcoin and cryptocurrencies “are much more like that,” Powell emphasized, “They’re not really being actively used as payment.” Powell’s comments about cryptocurrency echoed the statements by the new Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. She said in February that bitcoin was a “highly speculative asset.” She also noted that it is not “widely used as a transmission mechanism” and is an “extremely inefficient way of conducting transactions.” In February, Powell said that the digital dollar is a “very high priority project for us.” Last month, the Fed chair said cryptocurrency is “essentially a substitute for gold, rather than for the dollar.” He emphasized: “the public needs to understand the risks. The principal thing is there’s the volatility. There’s also the outsized energy requirement for mining, and the fact that they’re not backed by anything.” What do you think about what Fed Chair Powell said about cryptocurrency? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

The Central bank of the Republic of Turkey has issued a cryptocurrency regulation prohibiting the use of cryptocurrencies for payments of goods and services. From the end of this month, crypto assets cannot be used directly or indirectly as a means of payment in the country and no service can be provided for this purpose. Turkish Central Bank Prohibits Crypto Use for Payments of Goods and Services The Turkish central bank (also known as CBRT or TCMB) has issued “Regulation on the Disuse of Crypto Assets in Payments.” It was published Friday in the official newspaper of the Turkish government. The central bank also announced Friday that “studies on the regulation regarding the disuse of crypto assets in payments have been completed.” The TCMB wrote: Recently, some initiatives have emerged regarding the use of these assets in payments. It is considered that their use in payments may cause non-recoverable losses for the parties to the transactions. The bank described that “Crypto assets entail significant risks to the relevant parties,” citing factors such as excessive volatility, lack of regulation, and irrevocable transactions. The TCMB further warned that crypto assets “may be used in illegal actions due to their anonymous structures” and “wallets can be stolen or used unlawfully without the authorization of their holders.” In addition, the central bank claims that there are also “elements that may undermine the confidence in methods and instruments used currently in payments.” The official notice states that the purpose of this regulation is to prohibit the use of crypto assets in payments, directly or indirectly, within “the provision of payment services and electronic money issuance.” The notice details: Crypto assets cannot be used directly or indirectly for payments … No service can be provided for direct or indirect use of crypto assets in payments. The notice further warns that “Payment service providers cannot develop business models in a way that crypto assets are used directly or indirectly in the provision of payment services and electronic money issuance.” They also “cannot provide any services related to such business models.” Furthermore, the central bank’s notice explains that “Payment and electronic money institutions cannot mediate on platforms offering trading, custody, transfer or issuance services regarding crypto assets or fund transfers from these platforms.” This crypto regulation will enter into force on April 30, 2021, the notice concludes, adding that it is enforced by the governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey. The Turkish lira has lost significant value in the last 12 months. It plunged about 16% in one day on March 2 after former central bank governor Naci Agbal was fired and replaced by Sahap Kavcioglu, the fourth central banker chief in two years. The local currency’s dramatic slump helps fuel interest in cryptocurrency in Turkey. Cryptocurrency trading volumes between the beginning of February and March 24 hit 218 billion lira ($26 billion) with a spike on the weekend of Agbal’s departure, Reuters reported, citing data from U.S. blockchain data analytics firm Chainalysis. The trading volumes in the same period last year totaled only a little more than 7 billion lira. What do you think about Turkey banning crypto for payments? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) now has a new chairman, Gary Gensler. President Joe Biden’s pick, the MIT professor, whose classes included blockchain technology, digital currencies, and financial technology, has been confirmed by the Senate to lead the SEC. SEC Has a New Chairman President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gary Gensler, has been confirmed by the Senate as the new chairman of the top financial regulator. The Senate voted 53-45 on Wednesday to confirm his nomination. The four commissioners at the SEC released a statement welcoming the agency’s new chairman, stating: A warm congratulations to Gary Gensler on his Senate confirmation to become Chair of the SEC … We welcome him back to public service and look forward to working together to execute our vital mission. Gensler is a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, where he is also a co-director of Fintech@CSAIL and a senior advisor to the MIT Media Lab Digital Currency Initiative. He taught blockchain technology, digital currencies, financial technology, and public policy. A former Goldman Sachs executive, Gensler also served as the chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) from May 2009 to January 2014. In March, the MIT professor revealed his policies on bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate banking committee. He said “these innovations have been a catalyst for change,” noting that “if confirmed at the SEC, I’d work with fellow commissioners to promote new innovation but also, at the core, ensure investor protection.” With his deep knowledge of cryptocurrency, many people believe that under his leadership, the commission will finally approve a bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) this year. SEC Commission Hester Peirce is hopeful that with Gensler as chairman, the SEC can “build a good regulatory framework” suitable for the cryptocurrency market. Moreover, there is currently a petition for Gensler to drop the Ripple lawsuit and “end the war on XRP.” At the time of writing, over 5,000 people have signed the petition. Do you think the new SEC chairman is good for the crypto industry? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

PRESS RELEASE. SimpleFX, one of the world’s leading trading apps with both crypto and fiat accounts is going to invite traders to try out their beta staking module. The trading app is already recognized as a great alternative to mainstream Robinhood or eToro platforms. They win new users by being Independent of Wall Street, banks, and hedge funds. If you want to profit from growing stock or cryptocurrency markets all you can sign up with your e-mail, buy and sell Tesla, Alphabet, Toyota, or any other global stocks, silver, gold, Bitcoin, altcoins, and more with cryptocurrency accounts. Use any leverage up to 1:500. SimpleFX is a renowned trading app that has been in business since 2014. Was one of the first brokers offering cryptocurrency accounts. You can sign up for Bitcoin, Ethereum, Binance Coin accounts with just an email. The broker’s agile team is improving its tools constantly. Recently they have created a native HarmonyOS app for Huawei users. SimpleFX’s purpose is to provide the easiest way to trade globally. SimpleFX is mobile-first, but you can use the same app across all devices. Use the same accounts with SimpleFX WebTrader, native iOS, Android, or Huawei app or MetaTrader4. The team is always up to date with the newest cryptocurrency trend. They offer the lowest transfer fees available, that’s why they have recently introduced Binance Coin, Binance USD as well as the fastest and most economic Binance Smart Chain. If you’d like to trade a stock or any other asset they still don’t have in their offer, give them a shout, and chances are they are already working on it, if not, they will include your proposition in the products roadmap. At the moment SimpleFX is working on a staking feature that would allow traders to earn steady interest on their coins. They will launch early registration for the feature soon. Wall Street has zero control over them. Sign up with an email address, make a deposit, and cash in profits. Using just your email address you can also become a SimpleFX affiliate. You don’t need to deposit a single cent to start earning lifetime revenue share (up to 30%) from your referral links. Sign up to SimpleFX with an email, give it a try, and ride the ever-exciting global financial markets. Here’s why SFX is killing it: no ID verification for cryptocurrency accounts. Sign up with e-mail Invest Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, Binance Coin, and more (12 cryptocurrency accounts) No minimum deposits No fees Up to 50x leverage on stocks $1,000 depo = $50,000 Up to 500x leverage on Forex $1,000 depo = $50,000 Reputable – over seven years in the market Global reach – check out for your local currency (over 20 fiat currencies) Great support English, Spanish, Portuguese and more (probably in your language) SimpleFX is independent and not controlled by Wall Street Active development team willing to add new features especially for you Frequently updated WebTrader (working in every browser), native iOS and Android apps The most efficient cryptocurrency payments. Binance Smart Chain (BEP-20) fast transfers with super low fees (100 times lower than Ethereum ERC-20) 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

Nearly every day now a new company is announcing the acceptance of cryptocurrencies in some form or another. Now one of the world’s largest fine wine auction houses and America’s oldest wine shop Acker has revealed digital currency acceptance to pay for auction payments and retail wine purchases. Wine Shop Acker Jumps Into the Crypto Space This week the wine shop and auction house Acker revealed that it is now accepting cryptocurrencies for goods and services. Effective immediately Acker will accept BTC, BCH, ETH, DOGE, and three stablecoins via the payment processor Bitpay. Moreover, the wine company that started in 1820 has also added BTC and ETH to the company’s markets web portal. During the announcement, Acker Chairman John Kapon said he believes that cryptocurrencies are here to stay. “Cryptocurrencies are no longer a passing fad, and, as one of the oldest licensed businesses in America, Acker is proud to accept this novel form of payment as we continue to evolve in our third century as a company,” Kapon remarked. Acker Plans to Reveal More Digital Innovations In the Future Kapon is a third-generation wine merchant and invoked the company’s auction business in 1998. Since then Acker gained notoriety offering services including “cellar consultations, a deep retail inventory of fine and rare wine for immediate sale.” “Cryptocurrency is here to stay,” Kapon further added. “We are excited to offer these additional options for payment in this ever-changing and shifting world. We look forward to growing our already robust network of wine lovers and making more exciting announcements in the digital space soon.” According to Acker the company will be launching a “live online” auction in Hong Kong on April 23rd and 24th and returns to Delaware on May 12th and 13th. What do you think about Acker supporting digital currency payments for goods and services? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

With a population of over 200 million, Nigeria is widely regarded as one the biggest crypto markets in the world. Some in the crypto world believe Nigeria is one of the few countries better placed to see a greater acceptance of digital currencies. However, despite this optimism, the Nigerian crypto industry continues to be plagued by constant hurdles that then complicate mass adoption efforts. Some of the problems faced include an uncertain regulatory environment as well as the proliferation of bitcoin-related scams which often taint the image of cryptocurrencies. However, according to Tony Emeka, the founder and CEO of Cryptotvplus a Nigerian crypto-focused media organization, some of these challenges can be overcome through education. Nigeria is very active when it comes to digital currencies and is one of the top countries in Africa in terms of cryptocurrency trade volumes. However, Nigeria’s blockchain and cryptocurrency industry has been dealing with regulatory uncertainty. In a question and answer session with Bitcoin.com News, Emeka discusses his latest education project Earnathon and why believes it will make a difference. The CEO also shares his views on the current impasse between the Central Bank of Nigeria and the crypto industry. To kick things off, Terence Zimwara (TZ) of Bitcoin.com News asked Emeka to share the background and experiences that motivated him to focus his efforts on crypto education? Tony Emeka (TE): The Nigerian crypto industry is noted to be one of the largest in the world considering market data. This growth has been due to the bad state of affairs of the nation and a strong enthusiasm by Nigerians to break free and make something for themselves. However, this celebrated growth has only been possible because of education. However, it has not been easy considering negative sentiments towards cryptocurrency as a tool for scams. Still, with the help of many individuals and business organisations, including Cryptotvplus, the industry has grown considerably. For instance, Cryptotvplus, through its education platform the Campus Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Awareness Tour (BCAT), has helped to raise awareness of blockchain and cryptocurrency across Nigeria since 2019. At one point, Cryptotvplus helped to organize one of the largest crypto-focused gatherings in West Africa. The education platform also helped to expose tens of thousands of individuals mostly students to crypto. On seeing the success of the BCAT campaign across Nigerian universities, it occurred to the team that there was a need to do more. For mass adoption to be achieved, it was imperative to automate the process and have millions of people learning crypto all at once. We also observed how incentivizing attendees via airdrops helped bring a lot of people to crypto. These experiences and ideas were the basis of Earnathon. To bring crypto education to millions of people globally. TZ: What is your impression on what is currently happening in the Nigerian crypto space, education-wise? TE: Education plays a unique role in shaping any (emerging) industry. Globally, there has been an increase in crypto education as well as greater awareness. This is reflected in the trackable search trends and user adoptions. But more has to be done. For mass adoption to be achieved, education efforts need to go to the grassroots. This is one thing that has been missing and now it is one of the things we are looking to do through Earnathon. TZ: I know crypto scams are a problem in Nigeria. Are you specifically dealing with this issue as well? TE: While scams cannot be eradicated totally they can be reduced to very low numbers. In Nigeria and around the world, crypto-related scams have risen and continue to rise, but quality crypto education is the key, the only potent weapon to fight fraudulent actors. Regulators can issue warnings and enforcement agencies will arrest bad actors. However, since these organizations are mostly reactive, education presents a fascinating solution. When people are proactive as a result of sound crypto knowledge, they can easily beat bad actors. Education is thus key. TZ: Now as someone who is trying to help raise awareness on cryptocurrencies and the blockchain, how do you rate the ignorance levels in Government and the CBN? TE: The CBN stated in a circular published on February 7, 2021, that financial institutions could no longer facilitate crypto-related transactions. Surprisingly, the CBN position has been supported by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) a few months after the same regulator classified cryptocurrencies as securities. This shows that the CBN and the govt still lack a good understanding of cryptocurrencies and money. TZ: So in your view, did the CBN fully understand (cryptocurrencies) or it just rushed its directive back in February? TE: The Circular on February 7th was somewhat from a position of fear. It was reactive. The apex bank ought to be proactive. The government had earlier noted it wanted to explore blockchain technology. This is only possible by creating a good environment for existing businesses to grow. But the circular was a setback for many businesses and thus, it seems rushed. TZ: How can this impasse between the crypto industry and the CBN be ended? TE: The position of the CBN on cryptocurrency seems to be on a faulty foundation. But progress can only come by engaging the regulator, showing them the possibilities, the importance of cryptocurrency and blockchain. No organization wants an intruder. Educating the CBN will enable it to see cryptocurrencies as tools for economic growth. Do you agree with Emeka’s assertion that education is a key step that will guarantee a greater acceptance of cryptos? Tell us what you think in the comments section below. View the full article

PRESS RELEASE. April 15, 2021, Singapore: EQUOS, the institutional-grade cryptocurrency exchange owned by Diginex (Nasdaq: EQOS), will host a webinar between Roger Ver, the Founder of Bitcoin.com, and Richard Byworth, CEO of Diginex, the first Nasdaq-listed company with a cryptocurrency exchange. They will debate the ‘Future of Digital Money’ and examine the trigger points that could lead to the ubiquitous use of cryptocurrencies as a means of payment, store of value and settlement. Following recent news from Paypal, Tesla and Square that they are now accepting crypto as a means of payment, the future of digital money is being debated widely from Central Bankers to crypto investing enthusiasts. The increasing adoption by institutional investors, and the widening acceptance of crypto as a settlement currency, has seen the market value of the asset surpass $2 trillion for the first time in its history. During a live event on April 21st, Ver and Byworth will look at the drivers of crypto market value growth, potential headwinds and the progression of two of the best-known cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash. The webinar follows the decision by the EQUOS Listing Committee to approve the listing of Bitcoin Cash, which was initially developed by Roger Ver, on EQUOS in March. The listing followed careful consideration by the committee, which analyses every coin and its underlying blockchain to assess it for its utility, degree of decentralization, current usage and transaction flow, ongoing development effort, innovation over other blockchains and its long-term prospects. As a core objective, EQUOS aims to list quality projects that align with its own core values of transparency, fairness, innovation and compliance. EQUOS is proud to host Roger Ver and Richard Byworth in a Live Webinar titled “Roger Ver and Richard Byworth tackle Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, and the Future of Digital Money” on April 21st 9am ET/9pm HKT. Register here. Media contact: Heather Dale E: heather.dale@diginex.com About Diginex Diginex is a digital assets financial services company focused on delivering a cryptocurrency and digital assets ecosystem offering innovative product and services that are compliant, fair and trusted. The group encompasses cryptocurrency exchange EQUOS.io as well as an over-the-counter trading platform. It also offers a front-to-back integrated trading platform, Diginex Access, a securitisation advisory service, Diginex Capital, market leading hot and cold custodian Digivault and funds business Bletchley Park. For more information visit: https://www.diginex.com/ Follow Diginex on social media on Twitter @DiginexGlobal, on Facebook @DiginexGlobal, and on LinkedIn. This press release is provided by Diginex Limited (“Diginex”) for information purposes only, is a summary only of certain key facts and plans of Diginex and includes forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Without limitation, the press release does not constitute an offer or solicitation in relation to any securities or other regulated products or services or to make use of any services provided by Diginex, and neither this press release nor anything contained in it will form the basis of any contract or commitment whatsoever. The contents of this press release have not been reviewed by any regulatory authority in any jurisdictions. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Most of these factors are outside of Diginex’s control and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the business combination; the ability of Diginex to grow and manage growth profitably; Diginex’s limited operating history and history of net losses; Diginex’s ability to execute its business plan; the inability to maintain the listing of Diginex’s shares on Nasdaq; Diginex’s estimates of the size of the markets for its products; the rate and degree of market acceptance of Diginex’s products; Diginex’s ability to identify and integrate acquisitions; potential litigation involving Diginex or the validity or enforceability of Diginex’s intellectual property; general economic and market conditions impacting demand for Diginex’s products and services; and such other risks and uncertainties indicated in Diginex’s Shell Company Report on Form 20-F, including those under “Risk Factors” therein, and in Diginex’s other filings with the SEC, which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on assumptions that Diginex believes to be reasonable as of this date. Diginex undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. Other than those of Diginex, all names, trademarks and logos in this press release and used in the materials herein belong to their respective owners. Nothing contained on this press release should be construed as granting, by implication, estoppel, or otherwise, any right or license to use any third-party names, trademarks, or logos displayed on the press release without the written permission of such third-parties. Copyright (c) Diginex 2021. 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

This week a number of digital assets saw significant gains, but the meme-themed digital asset dogecoin has seen a significant rise during the last 48 hours. Dogecoin tapped a high of $0.143 per unit on Wednesday and has spiked more than 104% during the last week. Meanwhile, the billionaire investor and television personality, Mark Cuban, says the Dallas Mavericks have been seeing increased dogecoin sales. Dogecoin Skyrockets to New Heights, Food Network Star Guy Fieri Gives a Shoutout to Shiba Inu Crypto Dogecoin (DOGE), the meme token that was launched on December 6, 2013, has skyrocketed to new heights on Wednesday. 2021 has been quite the year for DOGE traders, as the crypto asset touched an all-time high (ATH) at $0.143 per unit on April 14th. The digital currency has jumped more than 104% against the USD in seven days and during the last week gained 82% against BTC. The cryptocurrency featuring the likeness of the Shiba Inu dog has also seen a massive +1,181% gain in three months’ time. DOGE/USD seven-day chart on April 14, 2021. Elon Musk has always been a fan of dogecoin and other celebrities have been open DOGE fans as well. This week the star of the American food reality television show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” Guy Fieri took dogecoin to “Flavortown, USA” when he tweeted about the meme coin on April 13. “Rollin’ out to the MOON,” Fieri tweeted with a rocket emoji and a dogecoin hashtag. Overnight trading sessions (EST) then saw the crypto token gather more than 20% during the course of the day on April 14. Dogecoin (DOGE) has jumped +6,739.59% against the U.S. dollar during the last year, and +705.80% against bitcoin (BTC) in the last 90 days. Dallas Mavs Owner and Shark Tank Investor Mark Cuban Says Dogecoin Sales Have Increased This Month Musk’s company Tesla also accepts bitcoin (BTC) these days and the company keeps BTC on the balance sheet as well. Moreover, if someone is to purchase a Tesla with bitcoin, Musk said the electric car firm doesn’t plan to convert the BTC into fiat. In a very similar move, Mark Cuban, a well known investor and one of the hosts on Shark Tank, explained on April 13, that the Dallas Mavericks have been getting a lot of dogecoin sales, and the team is not selling. Cuban tweeted: FYI, the Mavs sales in dogecoin have increased 550pct over the past month,” Cuban explained. “We have now sold more than 122k Doge in merchandise. We will never sell 1 single Doge ever. So keep buying [at the Dallas Mavs Shop]. Dogecoin Gets a ‘Fast N Loud’ Push If the Mavs are planning to keep dogecoin (DOGE) on its balance sheet, then the NBA team just might be the first corporate entity to do so with the meme-based coin. In addition to triple D’s Fieri, Richard Ray Rawlings star of Discovery’s “Fast N Loud” also mentioned DOGE this week. “Screw it, I’m on the Dogecoin train now. To the moon,” Rawlings tweeted. Furthermore, the customized high-performance gaming PC company Ibuypower also talked about dogecoin on social media. The official Twitter account for Ibuypower told its 190,000+ followers: Should we add Dogecoin as a form of payment? Asking for a friend. Meanwhile, across many nations, the terms “dogecoin” and “DOGE” have been trending on social media. The term “dogecoin” on Google Trends (GT) indicates the word is rising in the U.S. in terms of queries. The trend is the same on a worldwide search and similarly, the term “DOGE” is rising as well globally on GT. At the time of publication, DOGE is exchanging hands for $0.123 to $0.132 per unit on Wednesday evening (EST). What do you think about dogecoin surging and all the celebrities talking about the crypto asset? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

A former South Korean social media giant is still keeping alive its promise to relaunch its business with the help of the cryptocurrency industry. A local media outlet reported that Cyworld is in talks with “major gaming companies” that involve crypto-related ventures. Company Also Plans to Launch Its Mainnet to Compete With Kakao According to Yonhap, Cyworld is looking to arrange deals with software makers in the gaming industry to adopt in games its Ethereum-based token Dotori (SNS). A representative from the firm said: We are discussing ways to exchange Cyworld tokens, which were previously called ‘Acorns,’ with goods of large game companies. We are expanding the ecosystem where Cyworld tokens can be used. However, Cyworld didn’t disclose the names of the companies involved in the talks, although it specified “large” ones in the gaming sphere are in the loop. Per the report, if the plans go ahead as expected, users could use Dotori to pay for services and eventually purchase games in the companies that sign a deal with Cyworld. On the same day, the firm revealed its plans to launch its mainnet to compete with Kakao’s Klaytn network. The move will be possible after discussions with the MCI Foundation. Cyworld’s Background in the Crypto Industry Cyworld is currently owned by a consortium of five domestic companies that includes SKY E&M, a local entertainment company. When the firm was acquired by a company, Aire, in 2016, after a data leak incident, they raised around $0.5 million in token sales for a crypto called “Cling.” However, token prices bottomed out rapidly, and the business failed. The South Korean social media network launched in 1999. With the passing of the years, it became wildly popular across the country. The new management also has plans to get Dotori listed in the “South Korean top three crypto exchanges,” although some reports suggested no talks have been made yet with any of the top three exchanges in the country. What are your thoughts on this latest report on Cyworld’s talks with gaming companies? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

A group of Spaniards filed the first crypto-related class-action lawsuit before the National Court of Spain on an alleged million-dollar scam. The lawsuit targets an individual accused of allegedly scammed over 300 small crypto investors across Spain. Money Stolen Could Amount Up to $3.58 Billion Per El País, the class-action lawsuit claims that an individual named Javier Biosca Rodríguez allegedly scammed over 250 million euros ($298 million) in cryptocurrencies from the investors. The profile of the victims is mixed, starting from domestic employees, retirees, unemployed, even notaries, a judge, lawyers, tax inspectors, and owners of small businesses who tried to recover from the coronavirus-driven economic crisis. Although it’s not the first class-action suit filed before the National Court of Spain, it’s the first-of-its-kind that involves a crypto-related case, said the local media outlet. The lawyer representing the victims is Emilia Zaballos, who clarified that despite the class-action lawsuit was filed on March 17, 2021, it wasn’t disclosed to the public “until the deadline for submitting contracts and other documents provided by small investors, in general, has ended.” Moreover, Zaballos – who also is the president of the Association of People Affected by Cryptocurrency Investors (AAIC) – says that the number of victims “keeps rising each day.” Specifically, the lawsuit states the damages sum up to around 250 million euros ($298 million), but the lawyer is concerned that the amount could cross the 3 billion euros ($3.58 billion) barrier. Alleged Ponzi Scheme Collapsed in November 2020 According to the court documents, Biosca built a scheme based on offering its clients weekly returns on their crypto investments between 20 and 25%. Mainly, he focused on acquiring bitcoin (BTC), ethereum (ETH), and litecoin (LTC) with the collected money. Clients indeed initially started to receive the profits from their investments. Due to the trust gained by Biosca, its initial small amount of customer base spread the voice and attracted even more investors onto the scheme. However, Biosca reduced the returns promised to 10% or even 8% weekly starting January 2020. He told his customers that he owned a brokerage firm named Algorithms Group, but the company wasn’t in the Spanish National Securities Markets Commission (CNMV). Later in November 2020, Biosca stopped paying his customers. Zaballos says that lawsuit is extended to Biosca’s wife and his older son, accusing them of scam and other crimes such as “as misappropriation, receipt and money laundering, illicit association, crimes against the public treasury, bribery, corporate crimes, concealment and falsification in a public document.” What do you think about this alleged millionaire crypto scam case in Spain? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

U.S. politicians are talking about stimulus again in order to bolster American jobs and President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan. At the end of last week, White House press secretary Jen Psaki explained that Biden would meet with bipartisan members of Congress on Monday in order to push his proposal. According to reports, Biden’s proposed plan could be a touch smaller than the estimated $2.25 trillion. Biden Suggests Scaling Back the $2.25 Trillion ‘Build Back a Better America’ Infrastructure Proposal The U.S. government is talking about creating more stimulus in order to provide jobs and “build back a better” America. Last Friday, the press was told that Joe Biden would be meeting with bipartisan members of Congress in order to sell his infrastructure proposal. It was noted that Congress would be heading back to D.C. and Biden would tell them all about his plan to fix roads, public housing, transportation, and communications. During the meeting with bipartisan colleagues, Biden explained that he was “prepared to negotiate” and even noted that the estimated $2.25 trillion could be less. “I think everyone acknowledges we need a significant increase in infrastructure; it’s going to get down to what we call infrastructure,” Biden said at the time. Additionally, Biden explained that the White House was publishing “state-by-state fact sheets” which explain all the infrastructure that could be fixed with this new stimulus. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki explained that the data shown is “laying out the critical necessity” in regard to the President’s proposal. Meanwhile, Americans have begun spending their latest $1,400 Covid stimulus checks to pay for necessities, according to a recently published Bankrate.com study. According to the survey, 45% of U.S. citizens have been using the funds to pay monthly expenses. 28% of the respondents said they would save the stimulus and 32% intended to pay down debt. Bitcoin.com News recently reported on Mizuho Bank and Harris Poll data showing the number of Americans willing to spend their stimulus payments on bitcoin and other crypto-assets. Goldman Sachs Expects Biden to Push $3.3 Trillion Into the US Economy Moreover, some people are getting “plus-up” payments, which means stimulus funding is being sent to people who didn’t get stimulus payments prior to the last payments. Two types of Americans can make the cut for the “plus-up” payments, people who lost major amounts of income from 2019 to 2020 and citizens who added a new dependent in 2020. Meanwhile, American banks like Goldman Sachs expect the latest stimulus proposal Biden is now proposing and even more stimulus plans to exceed $2.25 trillion. According to a note from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. analysts, the team believes Biden will get congress to pass around $3.3 trillion in total. “We expect Congress to pass most of this spending later this year, including nearly all of the ‘hard infrastructure’ spending that President Biden proposes, as well as most of the research, manufacturing, and ‘green’ incentives,” Alec Phillips, a Goldman analyst, wrote in a note Sunday. However, not all of corporate America is pleased with Biden’s stimulus idea and many see the infrastructure plan’s tax hikes crushing U.S. businesses. The Business Roundtable recently initiated a multimillion-dollar campaign against President Biden’s tax increases mentioned in the $2.25 trillion stimulus draft for jobs and infrastructure. What do you think about the latest discussions concerning the proposed $2.25 trillion stimulus plan for infrastructure? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

PRESS RELEASE. BENQI, a liquidity market operating on the Avalanche network, has completed a private funding round. A total of $6 million was raised in a round led by Ascensive Assets. A number of leading investors on blockchain and the emerging Avalanche ecosystem also participated. These include Mechanism Capital, Dragonfly Capital, Arrington XRP Capital and The Spartan Group. Other backers were Morningstar Ventures, Vendetta Capital, TRGC, Genesis Block, Woodstock and Rarestone alongside Ava Labs and leading liquidity provider Skynet Trading. Built on Avalanche’s highly scalable network, BENQI combines elements of defi and tradfi to create a liquidity protocol in which idle assets can be utilized. By locking these assets into the BENQI protocol, Avalanche users will be able to earn interest on their assets and obtain credit through over-collateralized loans. The decision to build on Avalanche was influenced by its high degree of decentralization, scalability, and low fee environment, particularly when compared to Ethereum. BENQI ultimately aims to become a cross-chain defi hub that will bridge Ethereum, Polkadot, and Binance Smart Chain through Avalanche’s subnets. Assets that are locked into the BENQI protocol can be used to generate yield-bearing tokens or to issue assets that are borrowed and locked into other defi protocols to generate additional yield. Governance of BENQI’s native protocol will be overseen by QI token holders, who will have the ability to determine key matters pertaining to risk policies, fiscal management, and platform upgrades. 50% of all QI tokens will be issued through liquidity mining, giving participants an opportunity to earn rewards commensurate with their efforts. The BENQI mainnet is scheduled to launch in Q2, 2021 accompanied by a public sale of the QI token on Pangolin exchange. About BENQI Developed by an experienced team of blockchain designers, BENQI is a protocol to unlock greater liquidity within the defi market. BENQI enables defi users to make their assets work harder to generate additional yield. Built on Avalanche’s high speed smart contract network, BENQI will evolve into a cross-chain defi hub that’s positioned at the heart of decentralized finance. Learn more: https://t.me/BenqiFinance https://twitter.com/BenqiFinance https://medium.com/@benqifinance info@benqi.fi https://benqi.fi/ 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 U.S. government is reportedly concerned that China’s digital yuan could threaten the U.S. dollar’s status as the world’s dominant reserve currency. Officials at the Treasury, State Department, Pentagon, and National Security Council are increasing their efforts to understand the implications of China’s central bank digital currency. Digital Yuan Could Be a Threat to US Dollar The U.S. government is reportedly increasing scrutiny of China’s digital yuan. Some government officials are concerned that the Chinese central bank digital currency “could kick off a long-term bid to topple the dollar as the world’s dominant reserve currency,” Bloomberg reported Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter. Officials at the Treasury, State Department, Pentagon, and National Security Council are strengthening their efforts to understand the potential implications of China’s digital currency. Particularly, they want to understand how the digital yuan will be distributed and whether it could be used to evade U.S. sanctions. China has been actively testing its digital currency backed by the central bank, People’s Bank of China (PBOC). Its rapid progress has renewed efforts in the U.S. to create a digital dollar, the publication conveyed, adding that the Biden administration is not currently planning to take any countermeasures against long-term threats from the digital yuan. Meanwhile, the Fed is actively working on a digital dollar. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said in February that the digital dollar is a “very high priority” project for the Fed. “We are looking carefully, very carefully at the question of whether we should issue a digital dollar … We are the world’s reserve currency, and we have the responsibility to get this right. We don’t need to be the first. We need to get it right,” Powell affirmed. Various Federal Reserve banks are working on a digital dollar. Recently, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) said they plan to unveil at least two digital dollar prototypes in the third quarter. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has also stressed the importance of researching the viability of a digital dollar. “It makes sense for central banks to be looking at” issuing a digital dollar, she said at a conference in February, noting that a digital dollar could help improve financial inclusion among low-income households. According to a report on global economic trends published in March by the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, “Digital currencies are likely to gain wider acceptance during the next two decades as the number of central bank digital currencies increase.” It adds that “The extent to which privately issued digital currencies will provide a substitute for the use of national or regional fiat currencies, including the US dollar and the euro, to settle transactions will depend on the regulatory rules that are established.” Do you think the digital yuan is a threat to the U.S. dollar as the world’s dominant reserve currency? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

The price of bitcoin has crossed a new all-time high (ATH) on Tuesday, as the leading crypto asset has jumped to $63,275 per unit during the early morning trading sessions (EST). At the time of publication, the entire market economy with over 9,203 cryptos is valued at $2.153 trillion with $164 billion in global trade volume. Bitcoin Price Touches New Highs Bitcoin (BTC) has finally crossed the psychological resistance at the $60k mark and even brushed past the last all-time price high. At around 5 a.m. (EST), bitcoin’s price jumped to a new ATH reaching $63,275 per BTC. At the time of writing, BTC is just under the $63k handle and has a market valuation of around $1.177 trillion today. That’s approximately 54% of the entire $2.153 trillion crypto market economy, while ethereum (ETH) captures 11.9% on Tuesday. Top five crypto asset markets on April 13, 2021. Ethereum is swapping for $2,225 per ETH and has a market valuation of around $256 billion. The forerunner today is XRP which has gained a whopping 23% during the last day and 66% over the last seven days. Bitstamp BTC/USD markets on April 13, 2021. XRP is swapping for $1.70 a coin and is just below binance coin (BNB) markets. BNB is exchanging hands for $573 per unit and has a market valuation of around $85 billion. BNB captures over 4% of the entire market capitalization while XRP has around 2.98% today. Deribit ETH/USD markets on April 13, 2021. In the sixth position is cardano (ADA) which is trading for $1.37 per unit and the seventh position held by polkadot (DOT) is swapping for $41. Uniswap (UNI) has now taken the eighth position and is trading for $34.79 per coin. Litecoin (LTC) and bitcoin cash (BCH) hold the ninth and tenth positions respectively. LTC in the ninth position is swapping for $268 while BCH is trading for $721 per unit. Delta Exchange CEO: ‘Overall Sentiment Is Still Strong’ Of course, a great number of crypto enthusiasts are very positive about the prices. The CEO of Delta Exchange, Pankaj Balani, is one of those people. In a note to Bitcoin.com News, Balani said “Bitcoin has been consolidating over the last month, while altcoins have hit fresh yearly highs. This is healthy consolidation for Bitcoin given that we have already hit close to 100% YTD return on BTC and the market needed to take a pause. The interest in Alts though, suggests that overall sentiment is still strong,” the Delta Exchange CEO added. Balani continued: These are fertile grounds for Bitcoin to take a fresh leg up. We have some resistance around the $60,000 mark but a successful break out here can mean Bitcoin pushing to $65K and looking to challenge the $70-$75K levels. On the other hand, traders are keenly looking at $50K as a crucial level as it acted as strong support during the March Futures expiry pull back. Bitfinex CTO: ‘The Momentum May Continue’ The CTO of Bitfinex, Paolo Ardoino shares Balani’s optimism and told Bitcoin.com News that even though we have seen some turbulence and retracement BTC still advanced. “The digital token space continues to see tremendous growth and technological advances against a backdrop of increasing institutional adoption and Wall Street’s embrace of blockchain-based businesses. As a result of the growing demand in [decentralized finance (defi)], tokens other than bitcoin are expanding their reach, with select tokens emerging as front runners due to their efficiency and utility,” Ardoino said. Ardoino further added: Bitcoin has surged to a new all-time high in a rally that continues to be partly fueled by institutional buyers of the new digital gold. This momentum may continue as increasing numbers of funds and corporations add bitcoin to their investment portfolios. An ongoing pandemic may also be furthering a safe haven narrative for bitcoin, particularly in emerging markets where bitcoin is gaining traction. While BTC trades at new heights, many people are curious as to where the leading crypto asset is headed. Alex Kuptsikevich, Fxpro senior financial analyst says that the last crypto winter saw infrastructure built and it has paid off. “At this point, we are witnessing the major players in the traditional market having a warmer attitude towards the major cryptocurrencies,” Kuptsikevich told Bitcoin.com News. “The result will be more and more integration of the asset into the traditional market, but there is still a very troubling question about the attitude of the U.S. regulator about what is happening.” What do you think about bitcoin touching a new all-time high on Tuesday? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

TIME Magazine will be holding bitcoin on its balance sheet, the company’s president has confirmed. TIME is also partnering with Grayscale Investments to produce a video series on cryptocurrency and has agreed to be paid in bitcoin. TIME Magazine Will Hold Bitcoin on Balance Sheet TIME Magazine has partnered with Grayscale Investments to produce a crypto video series. The company will be paid in bitcoin and has committed to keeping the cryptocurrency on its balance sheet. Founded in 1923, TIME Magazine provides guides for current affairs, politics, business, health, science, and entertainment. Published biweekly, the company says every week over 20 million subscribers worldwide turn to its magazine for exclusive coverage. Grayscale CEO Michael Sonnenshein tweeted Monday explaining that the videos explaining the crypto space will come out in the summer. He also confirmed that Keith Grossman, President of TIME, has agreed to take his payment in bitcoin and will hold BTC on the balance sheet. A growing number of companies are embracing bitcoin, adding the cryptocurrency to their balance sheets. TIME Magazine joins major companies with bitcoin treasuries, including Elon Musk‘s Tesla, Jack Dorsey‘s Square Inc., and Michael Saylor’s Microstrategy. What do you think about TIME Magazine diving into bitcoin? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

PRESS RELEASE. AscendEX, formerly BitMax, an industry-leading digital asset trading platform built by Wall Street quant trading veterans, has announced the listing of the OptionRoom Token (ROOM) under the pair USDT/ROOM on Apr 13 at 1:00 p.m. UTC. OptionRoom is a user-governed oracle and forecast protocol built on Polkadot. OptionRoom can serve as an OaaS — Oracle as a Service where oracle requests are solved by governance. Oracle requests cost a fee and a solution incentive paid in ROOM, rewarded to request solvers. OptionRoom allows users to create and participate in event derivatives pegged to real-world outcomes by governance consensus. OptionRoom’s mission is to create a self-reliant protocol with multiple use cases powered by the community. By rewarding honest protocol participants and punishing bad actors, OptionRoom aims to create a governance that is pegged to the real world without relying on outside data streams. OptionRoom has three critical distinguishing product features. They offer unique user incentives, a truly decentralized human oracle, and limitless forecast markets decided by governance. Forecast market projects often have usability issues when it comes to their user experience. To solve this, OptionRoom has hired a talented UX design team to provide a seamless experience to new and seasoned users alike. The ROOM token is used as a payment method for creating forecast markets and oracle requests and is also used to reward users for participating in the protocol. About AscendEX Originally founded in 2018 as BitMax.io, AscendEx is a leading crypto and digital asset financial platform catering to both professional and retail traders. Our venue offers spot, futures, margin trading and staking products and incorporates key elements from the DeFi space to foster a unique market structure for users. AscendEx is led by a team of Wall Street veterans who have applied traditional markets’ rigor to create a robust, secure, and reliable experience for all participants; and a consistent source of liquidity for primary offerings. For more information and updates, please visit: Website: https://ascendex.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/AscendEX_Global Telegram: https://t.me/AscendEXEnglish Medium: https://medium.com/ascendex About OptionRoom OptionRoom is a user-governed oracle and forecast protocol built on Polkadot. OptionRoom has the ability to serve as a OaaS — Oracle as a Service where oracle requests are solved by governance. For more information and updates, please visit: Website: https://www.optionroom.finance/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/option_room Telegram: https://t.me/OptionRoom Blog: https://optionroom.medium.com/ 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 Bolivarian National Guard of Venezuela (GNB) is known for having a tough stance against crypto mining rig counterfeits, as several operations have been assigned to combat the issues over the last few months. This time, the Venezuelan authorities seized 76 mining rigs after allegedly detecting inconsistencies in the transport documentation. Rigs Are Presumably ASIC Miners According to a press note published by the GNB, the procedure took place in a checkpoint on the Bolivar state, specifically in the Puente Angostura. An individual transported the bitcoin (BTC) mining equipment on a Ford vehicle Triton, and he was stopped by the military units in a routine check procedure, stated the authorities. However, the Bolivarian National Guard detected some “inconsistences in the documentation” required to transport the crypto mining rigs legally. Members of the military then proceeded to seize the 76 pieces of bitcoin mining equipment, as they suspected the documentation didn’t comply with the requirements for circulation, ownership, and operation of the bitcoin mining rigs. Although the GNB didn’t specify which type of mining hardware models were seized, it’s presumed that all are ASIC miners within racks because of the photo published in the press note. Moreover, the picture seems to show a bigger rig than the one reported in the GNB’s announcement, as each rack counted has availability to host up to six miners. Crypto Mining Is Legal in Venezuela Venezuela legalized bitcoin mining last year following the decree issued by the National Superintendency of Crypto Assets and Related Activities (Sunacrip). As part of the new regulations, all entities and individuals interested in legally mining bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies must now apply for a license from the agency. The decree resulted in creating a National Digital Mining Pool (NDMP), a body that “seeks to bring together all the miners operating on the Venezuelan territory.” However, restrictions still apply for some crypto mining activities. The Venezuelan government banned mining operations in any low-income neighborhood with subsidized housing. What do you think about Venezuela’s GNB operation against the miner’s shipment? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

On April 12, the international provider of colocation services for low-carbon cryptocurrency mining Bitriver announced it is launching a pre-sale of tokens backed by 100 megawatts (MW) of mining power in Siberia. The ERC20 tokens called “bitriver token (BTR)” will represent a single watt-hour (Wh) of Bitriver’s power in Bratsk. A Low-Carbon Crypto Mining Token The blockchain and mining firm Bitriver announced the organization is launching the public sale for its new tokens called “bitriver token (BTR)” on April 19, 2021. Each token represents a single watt-hour (Wh) of Bitriver’s low-carbon cryptocurrency mining power and the tokens will have utility as well. According to the company’s announcement, the tokens will be able to be used to pay for Bitriver’s colocation services and “will be bought back by Bitriver at original listing price after a five-year period.” Right now BTR is available to pre-sale investors with a minimum order quantity of 100,000 BTR tokens per order. As far as the public launch is concerned next Monday, the BTR tokens will be sold on Bithumb Global and the price per BTR will start at $0.3504 per unit. The announcement says BTR will be paired with BTC, USDT, and USDC. A supply of 100 million BTR has been issued in order to represent the 100 MW of power. “From day one, we have always sought to use only renewable and surplus energy for all our operations. It is encouraging to see the increasing interest worldwide in low-carbon cryptocurrency mining,” Igor Runets, the founder and CEO of Bitriver said. “By launching the BTR token, we seek to accelerate our efforts to make cryptocurrency mining greener while offering investors around the world an easier-than-ever way to become part of environment-friendly cryptocurrency mining today.” Bitriver Hopes to Capture 1,000 Megawatts of Power by 2022 BTR token holders will be incentivized by being able to “get additional tokens every month” and use BTR to pay up to 10% of the monthly collocation service bills. Bitriver says it will accept BTR based on the average market price on the exchange for the last settlement month. “Obtain free of charge repair service of mining equipment that is located in the Bitriver’s mining datacenter each particular month,” the company says. “If the holder pays 10% of this monthly bill by tokens,” Bitriver’s announcement adds. In Bratsk the Siberian region of Russia where Bitriver’s managed data centers are located the area has around 5 GW of renewable hydropower. By the end of 2021, Bitriver hopes to capture 300 MW of power and 1,000 MW by the end of 2022. What do you think about Bitriver’s BTR token backed by mining power in Siberia? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. View the full article

Spanish authorities are enforcing their tough stance on the cryptocurrency industry, and the national tax agency seems to be taking it very seriously. Now, the Hacienda issued 14,800 warning letters to Spaniards under their watch for allegedly having failed or need to declare crypto holdings. Fines Could Be ‘Over $5,900’ if a Crypto Holder Fails to Declare Mandatory Tax Filings According to Telemadrid, Spain’s tax agency was clear on making cryptos taxable, and notifications have already arrived to their correspondent receivers. Spanish crypto holders should declare their earnings in the tax filings, and if they fail to do it, Hacienda said they could incur fines of over 5,000 euros ($5,900). However, Hacienda clarified domestic crypto holders are not accountable for their crypto buying operations, but only the profitable sales. Experts quoted by the local media outlet explained that Spaniards should declare profitable sale operations “made over 2020” on this occasion: Either because we have exchanged them to euros to another cryptocurrency or because we have used them to buy a good, a flat, or a car. That said, according to the experts, if somebody bought 10 bitcoin (BTC) in 2017 worth 10,000 euros ($11,880) which were sold for 200,000 ($237,700) euros in 2020, then the crypto holder should “we will have to declare a capital gain of 190,000 euros ($225,800).” Tax Agency Targeted 66,000 Crypto Owners in 2020 But the number of letters sent this time by the Hacienda is by far lower than the batch sent in 2020. Spain’s tax authority did a similar campaign of sending notices to crypto owners last year, but it targeted 66,000 crypto holders. Such a figure represented a massive increase from the 14,700 tax letters the agency sent to crypto owners in 2019. As Bitcoin.com News reported in February 2021, Ana de la Cueva, the Spanish Secretary of State for the Economy, said cryptos such as bitcoin carry “a risk of default, given that the user does not have the protection offered by traditional payment systems against a default by the counterparty.” That same month, the State Agency for Tax Administration of Spain published guidelines to reduce tax evasion for cryptocurrencies. What are your thoughts on Spanish tax authorities sending tax letters to 14,800 crypto holders? Let us know in the comments section below. View the full article

Gambling may be no stranger to the blockchain, but poker’s appeal amongst players has only expanded further as poker sites embrace bitcoin and Covid-19 moves gameplay increasingly online. Famed Game Puts Spotlight on Varied Blockchain Use Cases Although online betting and gaming were already widely popular before the emergence of blockchain, as the technology has played a pivotal role in gaming’s ongoing transition. Online poker was one of the earliest games to join the blockchain framework due to the inherent fairness and equity that accompanies distributed ledger technology, not to mention the legal woes it faced. Users from all over the world could join these platforms and verifiably trust that their funds would be kept safe. The discretion of using bitcoin to transact didn’t hurt either, given the anonymous nature of this payment method, allowing players restricted by regulation and geography to participate. Bitcoin and blockchain have become a mainstay of the poker ecosystem, but the industry’s innovation is far from over. An Explosive Space Bitcoin payments have attracted many players, mainly from the U.S., given that most US states still prohibit gaming sites from operating within their borders. Since the “Black Friday” event, which banned popular poker sites from the United States, offshore operations have thrived, and bitcoin has played an outsized role. For instance, non-U.S. citizens will notice that Bitcoin.com hosts a wide variety of popular casino games including virtual poker via cashgames.bitcoin.com or games.bitcoin.com. Another operator that has reaped the rewards of this shift is Winning Poker Network (WPN). The company, which manages a poker site portfolio, started accepting cryptocurrency deposits in 2014 and currently allows users to withdraw in bitcoin when cashing out. These days, WPN purportedly buys upwards of $100 million in bitcoin per month to meet demand from players. Other platforms are also entering this explosive space, and among them is Virtue Poker. This Ethereum-based poker platform now commands a gaming license from the Malta Gaming Authority, allowing it to legally operate in multiple markets after becoming the first blockchain-based entity to accomplish this feat. Fresh off a $5 million funding round raised from Pantera Capital, Consensys, DFG Group, Jez San from Funfair, this Conensys-based project has already received glowing endorsements. Besides counting on famed player Phil Ivey as a brand ambassador and stakeholder, Virtue Poker is very closely linked to Ethereum thanks to Joe Lubin’s role as the founder of Consensys. The organization, which acts as one of the essential business development and money function conduits for the Ethereum network, helps assure that Virtue Poker’s platform is as transparent and secure as promised ahead of May’s mainnet launch. Real-Time Poker NFTs Arrive Besides wagering on the game itself or using cryptocurrency for payments, many other uses for blockchain have arisen in the poker realm, among them digitizing collectibles and events. Theta network Edge, Guardian, and Enterprise nodes. To this end, decentralized video delivery platform Theta Network is making serious inroads in the poker industry. The platform has partnered with World Poker Tour (WPT) to stream specific events and feature real-time NFT drops and auctions through its Thetadrop NFT marketplace for the event’s 140 million-plus viewers. During the live broadcasts, users will be prompted to visit the marketplace to purchase exclusive collectibles and join a live auction for an NFT, which will capture a unique moment during the event. The marketplace promises fast transaction speeds, low fees, and high interoperability with other blockchains, making it possible for NFT-holders to move between supported networks seamlessly. Although Covid-19 might have been a big spark that lit heightened demand for online poker, the industry’s embrace of blockchain and Bitcoin together will help lead the way for novel use cases that will ultimately benefit players and the game’s budding popularity. Do you have experience with “bitcoin poker”? Let us know how the experience in the comments section below. View the full article