roadrunner

Bitcoin miners got a bit of a breather on Wednesday as the network’s difficulty dropped by 4.6% at block height 862,848. For the next two weeks, the process of finding a block subsidy is 4.6% easier than it was during the previous 2,016 blocks, which had the highest difficulty level ever recorded. Bitcoin’s Mining Game: […]View the full article

Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev has revealed that cybercrime damage in Russia has surpassed $1.25 billion so far this year, with both individuals and organizations, including government bodies, as frequent targets. He highlighted that cybercrime now represents 40% of all crimes in the country, rising to 60% in serious cases. Cybercrime Costs Russia Over $1.25 […]View the full article

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has moved into Phase 2 of its e-HKD pilot program, expanding its exploration into tokenized deposits and e-HKD. With 11 groups of firms selected, the initiative delves into practical applications such as offline payments and asset settlement. The creation of an industry forum aims to solve potential challenges while […]View the full article

BRICS nations are considering adopting the petroyuan for oil trade as part of their ongoing dedollarization efforts, according to economic expert Herbert Poenisch. He noted the BRICS group may discuss alternatives to the petrodollar at their Kazan summit. He highlighted Saudi Arabia’s potential shift towards the petroyuan and Russia’s plans to reduce dollar reliance. However, […]View the full article

A Russian digital services expert has predicted a future where passport-based identification for Internet access becomes the norm, citing a broader trend towards the de-anonymization of online spaces. His comments follow a move by Telegram to disclose user data during rule violation investigations, reflecting a significant shift in how anonymity is handled on the web. […]View the full article

Congressman Warren Davidson has introduced the Evaluating Defi Opportunities Act to foster data-driven regulations for decentralized finance (defi). He stressed the importance of safeguarding innovation and user privacy while addressing concerns over potential overregulation. This proposed study by key financial regulators seeks to balance defi’s growth with oversight, ensuring the sector’s competitive edge and resilience […]View the full article

The Nigerian Naira weakened significantly against the U.S. dollar following the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) decision to hike interest rates for the fifth time this year. The naira dropped to NGN1,658 per dollar on the official foreign exchange market after the CBN increased the benchmark lending rate by 50 basis points. On the parallel […]View the full article

Saudi Arabia has emerged as the fastest-growing crypto economy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for the second consecutive year. Unlike other MENA countries, Saudi Arabia’s and Qatar’s crypto activity primarily stems from decentralized finance platforms. The majority of MENA’s crypto activity is driven by institutional and professional investors. Saudi Arabia’s Youth […]View the full article

A Bloomberg analysis found that cryptocurrency and stock markets have shown a high correlation after the latest set of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. According to analysts, this related movement would be the result of the macroeconomic variables taking control of the markets and should continue in the near term. Not Uncorrelated: Stocks and Cryptocurrency […]View the full article

Curve Finance is evaluating a proposal to reduce its reliance on the stablecoin TUSD following the resolution of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charges against Trusttoken Inc. and Truecoin LLC, the companies behind the dollar-pegged token. TUSD Faces Removal From Curve Finance Pegkeeper The proposal, authored by Wormhole Oracle, suggests slashing the debt ceiling […]View the full article

Mastercard and Safaricom have partnered to improve payment acceptance and cross-border remittances in Kenya. The partnership will benefit over 636,000 merchants using M-Pesa and enable them to serve customers globally. This collaboration will provide faster and more reliable payment solutions for Kenyan businesses and their customers. Streamlining Cross-Border Transactions The multinational payment card services corporation, […]View the full article

Commerzbank, one of Germany’s largest banks, has partnered with Deutsche Börse subsidiary Crypto Finance to offer secure bitcoin and ether services to its corporate clients. The collaboration focuses on seamless trading and custody solutions, ensuring regulated access to digital assets for select clients in Germany. This marks an important step towards broadening institutional crypto services […]View the full article

Bybit’s head of institution has shared his insights into the possible effects of the Federal Reserve’s rate cuts on the cryptocurrency market. “We anticipate that the recent rate cut could enhance market sentiment and encourage both retail and institutional investors to diversify their portfolios by exploring and investing in cryptocurrencies,” he opined. Bybit’s Chris Aruliah […]View the full article

Boerse Stuttgart Digital is collaborating with DZ Bank to bring secure cryptocurrency trading and storage to over 700 cooperative banks across Germany. The move marks a significant step toward mainstream crypto adoption in Europe, with banks now offering regulated crypto services to retail customers. This collaboration will help meet the growing demand for digital assets, […]View the full article

German authorities have dismantled 47 exchange services involved in facilitating anonymous crypto transactions for criminal activities. These platforms bypassed anti-money laundering protocols, enabling cybercriminals to exchange digital currencies without identity verification. The takedown follows a series of other operations targeting major cybercrime networks. With seized user and transaction data, authorities are set to pursue further […]View the full article

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has downplayed the significance of Federal Reserve rate cuts, emphasizing that broader economic forces are at play. He cautioned against focusing too much on the type of economic landing. “Honestly, most of us have been through all that stuff, it doesn’t matter as much,” said the JPMorgan executive. Jamie Dimon: […]View the full article

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is seeking public input on a proposal by Cboe BZX Exchange to add new custodians for bitcoin and ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The plan aims to enhance security by adding Anchorage Digital Bank and Bitgo alongside Coinbase as custodians for bitcoin and ether holdings. SEC Reviews Proposal for […]View the full article

Terraform Labs has received court approval to wind down operations in bankruptcy following a settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The company had been at the center of a scandal that left cryptocurrency investors facing significant losses after the Terra ecosystem collapsed. Court Approves Terraform Labs Wind-Down Terraform Labs has been granted […]View the full article

Lightspark hopes to enter Latin America’s cryptocurrency market through its partners in the region, including exchanges like Bitso and fintech institutions like Nubank. Nicolas Cabrera, Lightspark’s vice president of product, explained that the company will focus on targeting Latin America’s remittances and cross-border payments market, using its products to streamline these processes. Lightspark Aims to […]View the full article

This week, Cryptoquant researchers highlighted a new rivalry heating up in the wrapped bitcoin market, with Coinbase’s cbBTC stepping up to challenge Bitgo’s long-established reign. Coinbase’s Wrapped Bitcoin Token cbBTC Shakes Up Market Coinbase introduced its wrapped bitcoin token, cbBTC, in mid-September 2024, and it has swiftly expanded to a supply of 1,670 cbBTC, according […]View the full article

A bitcoin investor has pleaded guilty to underreporting his cryptocurrency gains, including $3.7 million from BTC sales, resulting in a tax loss to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of over $550,000. The Department of Justice emphasized that taxpayers must accurately report crypto transactions to the IRS. The bitcoin investor now faces up to three years […]View the full article

Swift has unveiled a plan to enable the movement of digital assets and currencies on its global payment network. The initiative aims to integrate regulated digital currencies into Swift’s platform, building on past experiments. “We’re paving the way towards real-world solutions that will enable our members to access and transact with regulated digital assets and […]View the full article

Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, has criticized the debate over whether bitcoin or gold is better. He stressed that the only facts that matter are how much gold and bitcoin you own, pointing to the $35 trillion U.S. debt as the real issue. Cautioning that the bond market is crashing, Kiyosaki opined: […]View the full article

Seven Senate Democrats have called on the 10 largest bitcoin ATM operators in the U.S. to address growing crypto fraud that targets elderly Americans. The lawmakers explained that scammers are reportedly exploiting the anonymity of cryptocurrency transactions to steal from seniors through bitcoin ATMs. The senators urged companies to implement stronger measures to combat the […]View the full article

Kenyan President William Ruto announced measures to prevent artificial intelligence (AI) from spreading disinformation, alongside the launch of the Fifth National Action Plan on Open Government Partnership. The initiative aims to foster international cooperation for ethical AI use. This comes after AI-fueled social unrest incidents in 2021 and 2023, and mass protests earlier this year. […]View the full article