On the first day after the Merge, the decentralized finance (DeFi) community is settling into the seemingly uneventful transition of the Ethereum network from proof-of-work (PoW) to proof-of-stake (PoS). However, it has yet to be seen the benefits that hard forks will bring to PoW supporters. So far, the most important contending networks in favor
Australian crypto entrepreneur and investor Fred Schebesta has described the Australian government’s prioritization of token mapping as “wonderful,” but warns that rushing it could lead to detrimental effects on the economy. Schebesta’s comments come after Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers released a statement on Aug. 22 stating that the “treasury will prioritize token mapping work” in
The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) has reportedly begun a pilot for its central bank digital currency (CBDC), also known as “crypto rial.” Iran’s chamber of commerce explained that the “crypto rial has been designed in a way that is easy to track, and even if the data on the smartphones are hacked, the crypto
Crypto markets are flashing a bit of green on Sept. 22 as Bitcoin (BTC) price tacked on a 4.7% gain to trade above $19,300 and Ether (ETH) surged 6.5% to recapture the $1,300 level. RSR and Astar Network (ASTAR) also surged by 23% and 17% respectively, but the more notable mover of the day was
Ethereum funding rates had taken a beating after the Merge was completed. This event was the single most anticipated upgrade in the history of the network, and it had affected both price and funding rates in adverse ways. However, as the market begins to settle into the new normal of Ethereum being a proof of
Bitcoin’s (BTC) and Ether’s (ETH) agonizing 60% and 66% respective drops in price are drawing a lot of criticism from crypto critics and perhaps this is deserved, but there are also plenty of stocks with similar, if not worse, performances. The sharp volatility witnessed in crypto prices is partially driven by major centralized yield and
In this week’s episode of Market Talks, we welcome Yashu Gola, a Mumbai-based financial analyst and technology journalist at Cointelegraph with a strong focus on Bitcoin (BTC), smart contracts, exchange assets, nonfungible tokens, commodities and global stocks. Gola has been covering the cryptocurrency industry since 2014 and does not expect to stop anytime soon. First
According to regional news outlet mk.co.kr, the South Korean government has seized over 260 billion Korean won ($180 million) worth of cryptocurrencies over the past two years due to tax arrears. The country’s politicians enacted regulations allowing for the seizure of digital currencies for tax delinquencies and began enforcing them last year. One individual living
Increasing numbers of employees are quitting 9–5 corporate jobs to work for DAOs. While the money’s great, DAOs fall into a legal gray area, and it can be tricky to get your foot in the door. Researchers Nataliya Ilyushina and Trent MacDonald from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology Blockchain Innovation Hub take you through
Cryptocurrencies have been in a bear trend since mid-August after they failed to break above the $1.2 trillion market capitalization resistance. Even with the current bear trend and a brutal 25% correction, it has not been enough to break the three-month-long ascending trend. The crypto markets’ aggregate capitalization declined 7.2% to $920 billion in the
The FOMC meeting held on Wednesday and its subsequent results deeply affected the state of the crypto market. Given the large swings in price during and after the meeting, liquidation volumes had quickly risen across the market. Tens of thousands of traders were caught in the crossfire in what has come out to be the
The legal battle between the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Ripple XRP is getting tougher. The watchdog has been hunting crypto assets and firms tagged to deal with unregistered securities. While using enforcement action, SEC stated that XRP is a security and must be registered. It faulted Ripple for selling the token to
Greece is globally recognized for its touristic lures of idyllic beaches and a laid-back lifestyle. Prior to the outbreak of the global pandemic, the World Travel and Tourism Council said that tourism generated over one-fifth of Greece’s total GDP. This year, the country faced a record number of travelers during its summer tourism season. In
The Ethereum blockchain’s carbon footprint is expected to reduce by 99% following last week’s Merge event. By positioning staking as a service for retail and institutional investors, the upgrade could also have a significant impact on the crypto economy, according to a report from Bitwise on Tuesday. The company said it projects potential gains of
Cryptocurrency adoption continues growing in the Kingdom of Bahrain, with local companies enabling payments in crypto like Bitcoin (BTC). EazyPay, an online payment platform regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), has partnered with Binance Pay to enable crypto payments in the country, EazyPay CEO and founder Nayef Tawfiq Al Alawi announced on Wednesday.
Flybondi, a low-cost Argentine airline, is introducing blockchain tech in its operations. The company announced recently it will start issuing tickets as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), broadening the possibilities of what customers can do with them. Users will be able to sell or transfer the tokens to other travelers up to three days before the applicable
Bitcoin (BTC) retreated and reversed its intraday gains after the Federal Reserve announced its third consecutive 75 basis point (bps) interest rate rise on Sept. 21. Traders sold the news BTC’s price dropped circa 6.5% from its intraday high of $19,950, hitting $18,660 minutes after the Federal Open Market Committee’s statement. Its decline mirrored a
While testifying before United States (U.S.) lawmakers, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon referred to himself as a “major skeptic” on “crypto tokens that you call currency like Bitcoin,” labeling them as “decentralized Ponzi schemes.” Dimon was asked what keeps him from being more active in the crypto space during an oversight hearing held by the
The Federal Reserve hiked rates by 75 basis points on Sept. 21 and Fed Chair Jerome Powell projected another 125 basis points increase before the end of the year. If that happens, it will take the benchmark rate to 4.4% by the end of the year, which is sharply higher than the June estimates of
Crypto exchange Binance received a Minimal Viable Product (MVP) license from Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA), enabling the crypto exchange to offer a range of virtual asset services to qualified retail and institutional investors, the company disclosed on Tuesday. The development follows the issuance of the provisional license granted in March, which permitted the