Bank of America released a report analyzing the current state and perspectives of the cryptocurrency industry, which is now “too large to ignore”.
Bank of America has published its report “Digital Assets Primer: Only the first inning,” led by Alkesh Shah, head of Global Cryptocurrency and Digital Asset Strategy, providing an in-depth analysis of the current state of the blockchain industry from cryptocurrencies to DeFi and NFTs.

The report says that the industries of cryptocurrencies and decentralized finance services have grown to the point of being “too large to ignore.”

BofA’s researchers note that nearly 221 million users have exchanged cryptocurrencies or used a DeFi service, with a steady growth. Similarly, the increased participation of institutional investors is a clear indication that cryptocurrencies are much more than a passing phenomenon driven by retailers.

Bank of America is Bullish About The Crypto Space Beyond Bitcoin

Bank of America highlights that during the first half of 2021 the DeFi ecosystem received close to $17 billion in funding from institutional investors, this contrasts with the $5.5 that was recorded during 2020. Similarly, mergers and acquisitions in the crypto space rised from $940 million in 2020 to $4.2 billion in 2021.

In an official PR, Alkesh Shah maintained an agnostic stance, asserting that there is more to cryptocurrencies than Bitcoin

“Bitcoin is important, but the digital asset ecosystem is so much more. Our research aims to explore the implications across industries including finance, technology, supply chains, social media and gaming.”

The team also asserts that the way we interact with the world could change radically with the advent of blockchain technologies:

“In the near future, you may use blockchain technology to unlock your phone; buy a stock, house or fraction of a Ferrari; receive a dividend; borrow, loan or save money; or even pay for gas or pizza,”

Bank of America also highlighted that the growth of NFTs was a surprise for everyone. Researchers emphasized their fear that the large valuations of some NFT pieces such as fractionalized artworks or the NFTs from the crypto game Loot could be a bubble that affects many investors who do not know the risks they are exposed to.

Different Times, Different Stance

This stance contrasts sharply with earlier reports in which Bank of America described bitcoin as volatile, impractical and of little use as a store of value.

As recently as March 20201, Bank of America released a report assuring that bitcoin’s rise to $60,000 was essentially driven by speculation and not by the cryptocurrency’s inherent advantages:

“Broadly, we find that bitcoin has not been particularly compelling as an inflation hedge as commodities and even equities provide better correlation to inflation.
As such, we think the main portfolio argument for holding bitcoin is not diversification, declining volatility, or inflation protection, but rather sheer price appreciation, a factor that depends exclusively on bitcoin demand outpacing supply on a forward basis.”

But after the surge, Bank of America followed in the footsteps of other banks and founded a research group dedicated exclusively to covering the area of cryptocurrencies and the blockchain industry, gradually beginning to change its treatment of these emerging businesses.

Oct 11th, 2021 02:54:22

It’s been just revealed that the largest crypto exchange Coinbase faces a lawsuit over the sale of the crypto XRP.

In a lawsuit that has been filed in a federal court in San Francisco, California, plaintiff Thomas Sandoval said that Coinbase sold XRP despite knowing that it’s a security and not a commodity. The Daily Hodl cites info from Bloomberg and notes that he is seeking damages for the commissions that the exchange collected from him and other Coinbase customers.

Plaintiff seeks damages

“Until late this month Coinbase sold the XRP token, the value of which was entirely linked to the success or failure of Ripple Co. and the managerial efforts of its executives,” he said.

The notes continued and said: “Indeed, Ripple Co.’s survival as a corporate entity depended on its sale of unlicensed XRP securities to the public to fund its business operations.”

Just to refresh your memory, Coinbase said recently that it’s suspending the trading of XRP as Ripple is facing a lawsuit from the US SEC over the sale of the digital asset. The SEC claimed that the payments processing firm, which owns the lion’s share of XRP, violated federal securities laws by selling XRP without registering it as a security.

Suspending XRP trading pairs on the platform

“In light of the SEC’s lawsuit against Ripple Labs, Inc, we have made the decision to suspend the XRP trading pairs on our platform,” they noted.

Not too long ago, it’s been revealed that Ripple is about to face a massive SEC lawsuit. Ripple said that it would defend itself against a lawsuit from the SEC that is claiming the company violated investor protection laws when they sold XRP.

Also, it’s important to note that in a new blog post, CEO of Ripple, Brad Garlinghouse released a statement from Ripple lawyer and former SEC enforcement Director Andrew Ceresney.

Jan 3rd, 2021 13:17:30

The world’s largest cryptocurrency must pass the January test before making a significant upside move.

Bitcoin is set to end 2020 with more than 300% gain. The cryptocurrency is entering 2021 with bullish momentum after breaching the $29,000 price level. Despite the positive market sentiment, Bitcoin investors are worried about high volatility and an uncertain regulatory environment.

The world’s largest cryptocurrency has seen consistent growth in the last 6 months without a major correction. Institutional money fueled the demand for Bitcoin, and the price jumped from $9,000 in July to $29,000 in December this year.

January has always been a volatile month for the cryptocurrency market. Investors are expecting a similar trend in 2021 as well because of the growing demand. The cryptocurrency market has not seen substantial selling pressure in recent months because of institutional accumulation. But, is it possible for the market to continue the bullish momentum without a dip? Maybe not.

Joaquim Matinero Tor, a cryptocurrency observer and Blockchain Associate at Roca Junyent, told Finance Magnates that he expects Bitcoin to fall under $18,000 before making an upside move. “I think the price of Bitcoin will fall under 18,000 dollars and then rise back. Whale investors will sell once the financial year is over. So, January may be a rollercoaster ride for the cryptocurrency market,” he mentioned.

Bitcoin’s January Test

The reason January 2021 is a testing month for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies is that most of the investors who entered the crypto market in 2020 will be looking forward to closing their positions in order to book some profits. Additionally, the US Treasury is planning to implement strict KYC regulations on crypto exchanges. The SEC’s recent action against Ripple sparked a $50 billion sell-off in December and if something similar happens with other cryptocurrencies, it will create panic among retail investors.

Apart from rising volatility and regulatory uncertainty, significant Bitcoin transactions by unidentified cryptocurrency users have raised concerns in recent days. Whale Alert, a blockchain tracker, and analytics system identified the movement of nearly 17,000 BTC on the last day of 2020.

Jan 2nd, 2021 05:02:18

It seems the rumours about the launch of digital dollars have been confirmed. The US Federal Reserve has been making actual efforts to launch their Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).

Now, the Federal Reserve Board of Governors have partnered with some Federal Reserve Banks to develop basic policies and assess possible issues of risks. The Board has established a technology lab to test various platforms and solutions compatible with development and launch of a CBDC.

The same has been done by the Federal Reserve Bank of Massachusetts which has collaborated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for that purpose. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York is engaged in defining trends relevant for central banks and their digital currencies.

Obviously, the USA realises the potential of digital currencies. That is why the country’s Federal Reserve Banks are making practical efforts to develop a viable CBDC. At the 20th Anniversary Chicago Payments Symposium, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Loretta J. Mester, stated:

“Other proposals would create a new payments instrument, digital cash, which would be just like the physical currency issued by central banks today, but in a digital form and, potentially, without the anonymity of physical currency.”

Digital dollar for relief payments

Rumours about the launch of the digital dollar popped up back in April 2020, when the US House of Representatives drafted a coronavirus relief package bill. As CoinIdol, a world blockchain news outlet, reported, the bill stipulated the creation of digital wallets for all citizens of the USA, where the Federal Reserve would allocate relief payments.

This scheme indirectly hinted to the possibility of creating the US CBDC in order to make the payment allocation possible. However, no practical measures for implementing the initiative have been reported until now. Ms. Mester commented on the framework developed by the House of Representatives:

“Legislation has proposed that each American has an account at the Fed in which digital dollars could be deposited, as liabilities of the Federal Reserve Banks, which could be used for emergency payments.”

Increasing interest

Despite practical efforts being made by the US Federal Reserve, the US citizens seem to still be cautious about this new digital form of money. A survey made by Genesis Mining hashpower provider, showed that only 24.8% of the surveyed citizens are willing to switch to the digital digital dollar, with 60% having refused to abandon fiat money.

However, as compared to 2019, this showed a significant increase of interest in digital money. Back then, only 13.3% of respondents were willing to turn to digital currency, while 76.2% were negative about it. At the same time, the number of those undecided increased from 10.5% to 15.3%. This proves that the overall rapid digitization has forced people to explore virtual means of payments as a viable alternative to fiat money.

Despite the CBDC will have little resemblance to cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin due to its centralized and fully controlled nature, its full-scale launch would give a country a significant economic advantage. For this reason, many central banks have been exploring the potential of CBDC.

For now, China has come the closest to actually launching its digital yuan. Currently, the People’s Bank of China has been practically testing the currency for micro-payments across several locations within the country’s borders. Considering the tensed relations between China and the USA, the full-scale deployment of the first CBDC can become vital in this rivalry.

Oct 3rd, 2020 12:56:18

The government of a Russian province has lifted a two-year ban on cryptocurrency mining. The ban came into effect when mining farms brought the region to the brink of an energy crisis.
The Republic of Abkhazia, a province in the Russian Federation, has rebooted its crypto mining glory. According to the region’s official cabinet website, the new system will include regulation by the finance ministry and a two-month restriction on the importation of mining equipment.

During this period, the Ministry of Economics plans to develop a system regulating cryptocurrency mining, including an office to collect and analyze statistics and provide licenses. Likewise, the state power authority “Chernomoenergo” will set rules as to the amount of electricity used by these businesses.

Cabinet ministers prohibited mining in 2018 after farms threatened to use all of Abkhazia’s power. According to Jam news, Abkhazia became a Mecca of crypto mining because of the relatively low price of electricity. The business took up so much electricity, it threatened homes and stores with blackouts.

Russia’s Mining Ban Fiasco

The director of Chernomorenrgo, Ruslan Kvarichiya, said that the ban had the opposite of the intended effect. Technically, the law forbade mining equipment to be hooked up to Chernomorenergo’s grids. It did not, however, ban importing equipment into the territory. In the end, local energy companies had to deal with an unchecked increase in new farms.

The vice prime minister and minister of economics said that electrical engineers, “know better than anyone else,” how crypto mining continued to grow under the ban, an apparent hint at corruption.

The shadow economy of Bitcoin mining grew so large that, in September, the power grid once again approached a breakdown. To prevent a total energy collapse, ministers decided it would be better to legalize and regulate mining.

The Lesser of Two Evils

Though mining is booming in Abkhazia, Russia as a whole is a legal mess when it comes to crypto regulation. A Russian law will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2020, which bans somewhat inconsistent uses of crypto.

For example, while mining will not technically be illegal, miners will be unable to receive mining rewards in digital currency. While cryptocurrencies will be legal and regulated, using them as payment will be banned in the country.

Despite some nuances (for example, inheriting cryptocurrency) the new Russian law will be a headache for miners and traders. The legalization of mining in Abkhazia comes at an inopportune time, but considering the threat of the grid going offline, it may be the lesser of two evils.

Oct 3rd, 2020 12:55:28

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has halted trading in the securities of Vortex Blockchain Technologies. The firm has reportedly not been filing certain periodic reports with the regulator.

In its statement, the watchdog revealed that it was temporarily suspending trading in the securities of the firm from September 23 to October 6.

“The Commission temporarily suspended trading in the securities of the foregoing company due to a lack of current and accurate information about the company because it has not filed certain periodic reports with the Commission,” the regulator said.

Following the trading suspension, brokers and dealers were warned against entering any quotation relating to Vortex’ securities. “If any broker or dealer enters any quotation which is in violation of the rule, the Commission will consider the need for prompt enforcement action,” the SEC stated.

The little-known Vortex Blockchain Technologies is a company that claims to have operations in several areas related to digital currencies. Its bread and butter is block reward mining, which the firm claims is generating $250,000 in gross monthly revenue. On its website, it projects, “If bitcoin continues to grow as projected, we forecast a cumulative valuation in excess of (2) Two Billion Dollars within 3 years (2023).”

Other sectors where Vortex claims to be involved include mining equipment manufacture, digital currency wallet and exchange and consulting. It also touts its native token, VCoin, which it claims is an upgrade on Bitcoin and is “the coin of the future.”

The firm is headed by Craig Berman, who was the political director of Ron Paul’s 2008 presidential campaign. Berman incorporated the firm in 2013 in Nevada as UA Granite Corporation and reverse merged it with Vortex Network LLC in 2018. As per the latest SEC 10-Q Report, Vortex “relies primarily upon the sale of its securities and loans from its CEO and directors to fund operations.”

Oct 3rd, 2020 12:53:10

The European Commission has put forward a prospective regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, as discussed on the organization’s website and in original documents.

European Union: A Complete Crypto Framework

The new framework regulates several aspects of digital commerce, with a significant focus on cryptocurrencies (“crypto assets”) and blockchain companies (“DLT market infrastructures”). It clarifies explicitly which assets are considered “crypto assets” and provides rules for the digital finance industry.

The Commission intends to build upon existing rules. It notes that some crypto assets fall under existing laws, but that those laws predate cryptocurrency and blockchain as it is known today. As such, the new proposal suggests a regime for market infrastructures that handle cryptocurrency transactions.

The framework will also protect consumers against unregulated crypto markets. As such, it will regulate crypto custody services, custodial wallet providers, and exchanges.

It will also regulate stablecoins, a function that was incidentally requested by several EU countries earlier this month.

The proposed framework aims to cover all digital assets and services—not just publicly traded cryptocurrencies but also utility tokens, asset-backed tokens, stablecoins, and e-money tokens. It sets rules for DLT market infrastructures or companies that handle assets on a decentralized ledger.

The proposal does not treat all assets like financial instruments because each has different functions and risks.

Instead, the goal is to provide “legal certainty” around those assets within the European Union.

What Does This Mean for Companies?

In practical terms, the regulations under consideration mean that digital finance services will need to have a physical presence in the European Union to operate. They will also need to follow capital requirements and governance standards, and they will need to separate client assets from their own assets.

The rules are not merely restrictive; they also offer benefits. The Commission says that services that register in one jurisdiction will operate across the entire EU with an “EU passport.”

However, the proposal hasn’t been enacted yet, and it may change in the meantime. It will need to be agreed upon by legislators (European Parliament and the Council) before it takes effect.

Oct 3rd, 2020 12:51:51

Bitcoin mining in Venezuela is now a legal and regulated activity following years of regulatory hostility in the Latin American country. This is according to a new decree from Venezuela’s National Superintendency of Crypto Assets and Related Activities (SUNACRIP), which brings all activities related to crypto mining under its regulatory jurisdiction.

Under the new dispensation, Venezuelan miners will work under license from SUNACRIP, and they will be mandated to join a “National Digital Mining Pool” under the body’s supervision. The new regulation also creates a legal basis for the importation, sale, production and use of crypto mining equipment in Venezuela for the first time.

Venezuela’s New Crypto Mining Regulations

The decree, published on September 21 in Venezuela’s Official Gazette and signed by SUNACRIP superintendent Joselit Ramirez prescribes a registration and regulatory process for Venezuelan residents who wish to manufacture application-specific integrated circuit mining equipment in the country or operate mining farms.

To this end, it establishes a Comprehensive Registry of Miners which will have information on all crypto miners in Venezuela. The information to be captured includes the type of mining-related activity they are involved in and the type of equipment they work with. The regulation also establishes SUNACRIP as the sole regulator over the country’s entire crypto mining sector.

Moreover, it creates a National Digital Mining Pool which all miners on Venezuelan territory must join to avoid being in regulatory default. According to the decree, any miners in the country who do not join the pool will face “measures, infractions and sanctions, set forth in the Constituent Decree on the Comprehensive Crypto Assets System.”

Implications of Regulations

Venezuela has traditionally adopted a position on crypto mining that varies between vagueness and outright hostility. In 2017, CNBC described Venezuela as “one of the most dangerous places in the world to mine Bitcoin.” Earlier this year, the Bolivarian National Guard of Venezuela seized 315 Antminer S9 Bitcoin mining rigs, claiming they were not properly registered for operation in the country.

Despite this state of affairs, research published in May 2020 by the Center for Alternative Finance at the University of Cambridge ranked Venezuela among the world’s top ten contributors to the Bitcoin network’s hashing capacity and the top Bitcoin mining country in Latin America with 0.42% of the total hashrate.

In an economy decimated by hyperinflation, trade sanctions, political upheaval and battered export income that has effectively rendered the bolivar irrelevant, The Atlantic reports that Bitcoin miners in Venezuela can clear as much as $500 a month.

With the creation of the mandatory national pool for miners, SUNCRIP effectively assumes control over the payment of block rewards to crypto miners, which some fear will lead to extra taxation, frozen funds or delayed payments.

Oct 3rd, 2020 12:50:52

Bithumb, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in South Korea, is allegedly up for sale to the highest bidder, according to the South Korean news outlet Herald. Responsible for more than 50% of the domestic trading volume with 4.77 million users, Bithumb is considered the primary driver of cryptocurrency trading in the country.

According to the news report, Bithumb Holdings is now trying to sell its 74% stake in Bithumb Korea. Several buyers have already sent letters of intent, offering between $430 million and $604 million for the exchange. The interested parties are unknown at the time.

The Seoul Metropolitan police are currently investigating the exchange’s chairman Lee Jung Hoon for incurring deliberate investor loss of ~$25 million and evading property responsibilities. The police have also raided the exchange twice this month.

This makes selling Bithumb less than easy

The Korean branch of KPMG, Samjong KPMG, is in charge of the sale and enforcing compliance with local laws. The buyer will also be responsible for implementing the revised bill of the Special Payments Act starting from March 2021. The revised bill lays the foundational requirements for reporting and operation processes, regulates licenses for digital asset service providers, and ensures compliance with FATF recommendations.

According to local news outlets, the South Korean investment banking industry perceives the sale of Bithumb Holdings as an effort for investors to relieve themselves of the legal and managerial disputes, recover their investment, and exit the market unscathed.

BK Global Consortium was expected to purchase in 2018. The deal was scrapped after the investor failed to pay the full amount. The price at the time was allegedly $345 million.

Oct 3rd, 2020 12:49:47

Ponzi schemes are competing with DeFi applications for bandwidth on the Ethereum network, making many decentralized applications practically unusable because of high fees.

A South African group calling itself “Anonymous ZA” has published fresh information that seemingly supports long-standing allegations that Mirror Trading International (MTI), an ostensible bitcoin investment company, is running a multi-level marketing scam. The new information, which was reportedly obtained after a breach of MTI internal systems, shows that the investment company is “entirely structured around a tree/pyramid scheme.”

According to a report, the leaked data suggests that MTI has a practice of distinguishing between “normal members and founder members.”

Assessing the data, Anonymous ZA says it would appear that while “deposits made by founder members are not easily traceable yet they (founders) seemingly get better ROI than regular members.” The data also shows that “founder members are also at the top of the pyramid scheme and earn more money from their binary bonuses than ROI or any other source.”

Perhaps in revelations that may lend credence to allegations often leveled against MTI, the report quoting Anonymous ZA says:

“The database further shows payouts of $ 86.25 million (8,171.6 BTC) to normal members, with $21.4 million (2,036.5 BTC) in the form of bonuses for referring new members. Payouts to founding members amount to $18.45 million (1,744 BTC).”

The report confirms that members are paid to recruit new members but it fails to provide the number of founding members.

Earlier in July, the Texas State Securities Board (TSSB) accused MTI of running a multi-level marketing scam as well, as it operated in the state of Texas without a license. The TSSB subsequently issued a cease and desist order against MTI and some of its employees. Afterward, the South African regulator, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) issued its own public statement which repeats allegations made by TSSB. However, the FSCA statement goes further by asking investors to withdraw their funds from MTI.

Anonymous ZA closes its statement in which it says “unless MTI can display or prove control of a Bitcoin wallet, or another storage facility to the value 17k BTC, it will stand by its view that: MTI is a Ponzi scheme.”

Meanwhile, following the latest revelations, the MTI management moved to confirm the breach in a fiery response. Cheri Marks, one of MTI’s founding members and spokesperson, suggests a criminal offense was committed by those behind the breach which occurred September 18. Marks then goes on to threaten legal action against the perpetrators as well those publishing stories based the illegally obtained information:

Yes, we had a security breach of our administration portal. Yes it was a criminal act. Yes we will be pressing charges and everyone publishing the personal information illegally obtained we will refer to our legal council.
Marks then attacks assumptions that MTI had stopped trading claiming that “in August over 34,000 withdrawals were effected to the tune of 5,933 bitcoin without so much as a hiccup.”

Throughout the rant, Marks challenges the media to name a single disgruntled investor out of the “170,000 that are growing their bitcoin with MTI.”

Still, Marks fails to adequately deal with concerns that founders are possibly getting larger payouts than the rest of investors. Instead, Marks chooses to boast about her status as founder saying:

“The fact that MTI has founder members is nothing new. Yes there is an extra profit share for them and this does not affect the company or the members in any way, nor is it a state secret.”

Throughout the seventeen-minute video, Marks complains of media bias and the “intention to slander, not to provide a decent and informed view of MTI, its founders, shareholders or members.”

Marks also briefly discusses MTI’s interactions with FSCA but fails to provide a satisfactory answer to why the regulator still went ahead and asked investors to withdraw funds even after the MTI “CEO opened our live trading account and BTC balance for the FSCA to see.”

Surprisingly, just after the encounter with FSCA, the investment company made the decision to invest in bitcoin only. Critics argue the move was intended to remove MTI from the tutelage of regulators. Meanwhile, reports say the FSCA has been made aware of the data leak and is looking into it.

Oct 3rd, 2020 12:48:53