New sanctions discussed by EU member states amid the current escalation of the conflict in Ukraine are going to restrict European crypto services for Russians. Reports about the tightening have come after earlier this year the Union banned only “high-value” crypto-asset services to Russian residents and companies. EU Expected to Target Crypto Services for Russians in New Round of Sanctions Over Ukraine The European Union is preparing to punish Russia with more sanctions over its decision to announce partial mobilization as part of its escalating military intervention in Ukraine and moves to annex occupied Ukrainian territories through what are seen as sham referendums. The package will hit trade in the first place, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announcing intentions to impose a… [Read More...]

On Wednesday, the decentralized oracle network platform, Chainlink, announced the launch of a market-wide interest rate product for Web3 protocols and the decentralized finance (defi) economy, called the CF Bitcoin Interest Rate Curve (CF BIRC). Chainlink revealed the new product at Smartcon 2022 in New York City, and the newly launched CF BIRC product aims to provide “a reliable and transparent base rate” for Web3 market participants. Chainlink and CF Benchmarks Launch Manipulation-Resistant Base Rate CF BIRC Chainlink has made a number of announcements during the Smartcon 2022 event in New York City. For instance, on Wednesday the smart contract and oracle network project revealed a program called the Sustainable Chainlink Access for Layer 1 & 2 Enablement otherwise known as SCALE. “SCALE is a holistic and win-win… [Read More...]

Crypto exchange Binance is reportedly seeking to reenter the Japanese crypto market. The company exited Japan four years ago after the country’s financial regulator warned that Binance was operating illegally without a license. Binance Wants Back in Japan Crypto exchange Binance is seeking a license to return to the Japanese crypto market, four years after exiting the country, Bloomberg reported Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. The key reasons behind Binance’s renewed interest in Japan are the Japanese government’s easing regulatory approach to crypto and substantial potential for user growth, according to one of the people. A spokesperson for Binance told the publication that the company is “committed to working with regulators and policymakers to shape policies that protect consumers, encourage innovation, and move our industry… [Read More...]

Walmart has entered the metaverse with the launch of Walmart Land and Walmart’s Universe of Play on Roblox. The metaverse gaming platform has 52.2 million daily active users and 11.3 billion engagement hours. “Our customers are spending loads of time there,” said a Walmart executive. Walmart Entering the Metaverse U.S. retail giant Walmart announced Monday the launch of “Walmart Land” and “Walmart’s Universe of Play” on the metaverse gaming platform Roblox. The announcement explains that Walmart Land will feature a virtual store of merchandise for avatars; a physics-defying Ferris wheel; and unlockable tokens and badges that can be earned in various games and competitions. Walmart’s Universe of Play will have “The year’s best toys,” the retail giant described. “The Roblox community can explore different toy… [Read More...]

The Kenyan central bank governor Patrick Njoroge has described as “craziness” the calls to convert Kenya’s reserves into bitcoin. He added that he would have to be out of his mind before agreeing to this. Njoroge argued that cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are not only volatile, but are hardly solving any problem. CBK Governor Says Converting Kenya’s Reserves to Bitcoin Deserves a Jail Term The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) governor, Patrick Njoroge, has described the idea of putting the country’s reserves into bitcoin as “craziness.” Njoroge, who was addressing recently elected members of Kenya’s legislature, added that if it occurred that he agrees to convert Kenya’s reserves to bitcoin, he should be jailed and the keys to his prison cell must be thrown away. Under Njoroge’s… [Read More...]

The Bitcoin network has been operational for 5,012 days and so far, more than 755,000 blocks have been mined into existence. During the last year, Foundry USA and Antpool were the top two miners as the combined pools collectively mined 18,229 blocks out of the 53,510 blocks mined this year. Foundry is the leader this year, but all-time statistics show the pool is the 15th largest, and has only found 1.55% of the more than 755,000 blocks discovered. Unknown Hashrate Discovered a Majority of Bitcoin Blocks During the Last 13 Years During the past three days, 11 different known mining pools have dedicated hashrate to the Bitcoin (BTC) network. Furthermore, during the last 12 months, 27 different known mining pools mined BTC and all-time statistics indicate roughly 98 pools have mined BTC during the past… [Read More...]

The government in South Korea has seized cryptocurrency worth around $184 million in two years due to tax arrears, according to local media. The authorities in Seoul started confiscating virtual assets from people accused of tax evasion in 2021. Almost 260 Billion Won in Crypto Seized for Tax Evasion in South Korea The amount of crypto assets seized from South Koreans accused of dodging taxation has reached almost 260 billion Korean won (close to $184 million at current exchange rates), the online editions Yonhap News and Maekyung unveiled on Thursday. The reports quote official numbers provided by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Security and Public Administration, the National Tax Service (NTS) of South Korea, and the authorities in 17 cities and provinces. Out of the total exceeding… [Read More...]

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has warned about cryptocurrency scams on Tiktok. “You are scrolling through Tiktok when you come across a video showing a pile of cash. The creator says they earned the stack of money in just a few days by investing in cryptocurrency,” the BBB detailed. Crypto Scammers Defrauding Tiktok Users The Better Business Bureau (BBB) warned of cryptocurrency scams on the popular video-hosting platform Tiktok Friday. Founded in 1912, the BBB is a private, nonprofit organization that empowered people to find businesses, brands, and charities they can trust for over 110 years. The BBB explained that “as Tiktok’s popularity grows, so do the con artists.” Noting that it is seeing many new reports from its “Scam Tracker related to this money-flipping… [Read More...]