Crypto Guides, Knowledge & Insights

Bitcoin Consumes Million Times More Energy Than Credit Cards: IMF Report

According to a new report published by the International Monetary Fund, Bitcoin, the worlds largest cryptocurrency, consumes a million times more energy than credit cards. Its calculations are based on academic and private-sector publications.　　Image by blogs.imf.org　　The report, which was panned by Xavier Lavayssièr, Germán Villegas Bauer, and Itai Agur, shows also that central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and some private cryptocurrencies are actually more efficient than traditional payment systems.　　As of today, credit and debit cards account for the vast majority of all cashless transactions. For more blockchain news, please download WikiBit - the Global Blockchain Regulatory Inquiry APP.　　The paper makes a case for ditching the proof-of-work consensus system and using permissioned systems in order to major a giant green leap.　　Ethereum, the second-largest blockchain, is expected to transition to proof-of-stake later this year, which will reduce its energy consumption by a whopping 99.95%.　　The IMF researchers conclude that power usage should be also one of the considerations in debates about the future of money.

2022-06-17Deep Dive

Celsius Investigated by Regulators in Four Different States

Crypto lender Celsius is faced with an investigation from regulators from four different states for freezing customer accounts over solvency concerns.　　Multiple State Regulators Investigating Celsius　　Regulators have launched an investigation into Celsius over its decision to halt customer fund withdrawals.　　According to Reuters, state securities regulators from Alabama, Kentucky, and New Jersey are joining the Texas State Security Board in its probe into crypto lending company Celsius recent activity. Texas Director of Enforcement Joseph Rotunda said that regulators “began investigating the freezing of accounts first thing on Monday morning” and that he considered the probe a “priority.”　　Furthermore, Alabama Securities Commission Director Joseph Borg told Reuters that the Securities and Exchange Commission was also in communication with Celsius and that the company had been responsive to regulators questions so far.　　Celsius Facing Solvency Issues　　Celsius is a crypto lending platform that offers its customers up to 18% returns on crypto assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. It does so by taking advantage of the enhanced yields commonly found in decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols while acting as a centralized custodian for its clients.　　The company announced on Monday that it would pause customer withdrawals, swaps, and transfers in order to protect its solvency and put itself “in

2022-06-17Deep Dive

Huobi closes Thai crypto unit, regulator revokes license

Hong Kong-listed Huobi Technology Holdings Ltd will shut its cryptocurrency trading platform‘s Thailand unit on July 1 after the country’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revoked its license.　　 Fast facts　　Huobi Thailand said the firm will no longer have any connections or legal bindings with Huobi Group following the closure.　　The SEC confiscated the crypto exchange‘s Thai license in May, apparently due to failure to organize personnel and systems in line with the country’s regulations.　　The exchange had already stopped operating since September due to regulatory pressure.　　In a case of whiplash for the countrys crypto industry, the SEC banned Bitcoin and other crypto payments while the ministry of finance eased crypto tax requirements in March.　　Thailand banned baht-pegged stablecoins in 2021.　　For more blockchain news, please download WikiBit- the Global Blockchain Regulatory Inquiry APP.

2022-06-17Deep Dive

“No Place For Cryptocurrencies In Russian Financial Systems”- Central Bank Of Russia

According to a Russian News Website, Elvira Nabiullina, the head of the Central bank of Russia has reiterated that Russia stands firm on its policy of intolerance to trading Cryptocurrencies domestically. She however added it could be used in foreign trades and activities.　　Cryptocurrencies Have No Place In Russian Financial Systems　　The crypto regulation discussion has been on for a while in Russia. Just this year, the Central bank had made a bill to ban cryptocurrencies, on the same day the Ministry of Finance started discussions on a different bill that will regulate the operation of digital assets in the country.　　Nabiullina in a recent statement has however made it clear that crypto trading and other related trading have no place in Russia‘s financial system, although they can be used for foreign payments, on the condition that they do not infiltrate the country’s domestic financial system.　　The head of the Central bank gave reasons for the decision. She explained that due to high volatility in cryptocurrencies, and risk, they should not even be traded in organized systems and marketplaces at all.　　According to her, digital assets must abide with all the requirements established to protect investors. Nabiullina also stated that assets that are allowed in

2022-06-17Deep Dive

Circle Is Launching a Euro-Backed Stablecoin

The U.S.-based stablecoin provider Circle is launching a fully-reserved stablecoin pegged to the euro.　　Circle Announces Euro Coin　　Another euro-backed stablecoin is set to hit the market.　　Circle, the issuer behind the second-largest dollar-pegged stablecoin and fourth-largest cryptocurrency on the market, USDC, announced today that it would launch a fully-collateralized pegged to the Euro. Per the press release, the new token dubbed Euro Coin (EUROC) will begin trading as an ERC-20 token on the Ethereum network on Jun. 30, with native support for additional blockchains expected by the end of the year.　　“There is clear market demand for a digital currency denominated in euros, the world‘s second most traded currency after the U.S. dollar,” said the co-founder and CEO of Circle Jeremy Allaire, adding that the firm’s new euro-backed stablecoin would help “unlock a new era of fast, inexpensive, secure, and interoperable value exchange worldwide.”　　EUROC will use the same tried and tested issuance and redemptions model as USDC, Circle‘s $54-billion dollar-pegged stablecoin. It will also be fully backed by “euro-denominated reserves” held in “leading financial institutions within the U.S. regulatory perimeter,” the announcement said. The stablecoin provider didn’t clarify whether EUROC would be solely backed by Euroeuros—euros held in banks outside the Eurozone—or include

2022-06-17Deep Dive

Elon Musk Facing $258 Billion Lawsuit for Promoting Dogecoin

It is already well established that any positive activity around Elon Musk and Tesla often boosts Dogecoins price almost instantly. In a latest development, a U.S. citizen is charging Musk with alleged involvement in Dogecoin related fraud in a Musk Dogecoin lawsuit.　　According to a Bloomberg report, Musk, along with SpaceX and Tesla were sued for $258 billion over Doge-related claims. The case filing suggests allegations that they are part of a racketeering scheme to back Dogecoin.　　‘Dogecoin Is Deceptive’　　The report mentions Keith Johnson as an American citizen who is behind the lawsuit. Johnson was allegedly “defrauded out of money by defendants‘ Dogecoin Crypto Pyramid Scheme.” He claimed that they constitute an illegal racketeering enterprise to inflate Dogecoin’s price.　　In his complaint filed on Thursday in federal court in Manhattan, he said,　　“Defendants falsely and deceptively claim that Dogecoin is a legitimate investment when it has no value at all.” For more forex news, please download WikiFX - the Global Dealer Regulatory Inquiry APP.　　Demand To Block Musk From Promoting Dogecoin　　In the complaint, Johnson sought to represent all those who lost money trading in Dogecoin since April 2019. Demanding $86 billion in damages and triple damages of $172 billion, he also demands action against Musk.　　He

2022-06-17Deep Dive

Hackers Are Cloning Web3 Wallets Like Metamask and Coinbase Wallet to Steal Crypto

Confiant, an advertising security agency, has found a cluster of malicious activity involving distributed wallet apps, allowing hackers to steal private seeds and acquire the funds of users via backdoored imposter wallets. The apps are distributed via cloning of legitimate sites, giving the appearance that the user is downloading an original app.　　Malicious Cluster Targets Web3-Enabled Wallets Like Metamask　　Hackers are becoming more and more creative when engineering attacks to take advantage of cryptocurrency users. Confiant, a company that is dedicated to examining the quality of ads and the security threats these might pose to internet users, has warned about a new kind of attack affecting users of popular Web3 wallets like Metamask and Coinbase Wallet.　　The cluster, that was identified as “Seaflower,” was qualified by Confiant as one of the most sophisticated attacks of its kind. The report states that common users cannot detect these apps, as they are virtually identical to the original apps, but have a different codebase that allows hackers to steal the seed phrases of the wallets, giving them access to the funds.　　Distribution and Recommendations　　The report found out that these apps are distributed mostly outside regular app stores, through links found by users in search engines such as

2022-06-16Deep Dive

Almost Every Crypto Asset Is Down Over 90% From Peak

Key Takeaways　　Data from crypto price aggregator CoinGoLive shows that 98.5% of all cryptocurrencies are down more than 90% from their all-time highs.　　Around 95.5% of cryptocurrencies have fallen by more than 99.99% from their peaks, with the vast majority effectively plummeting to zero.　　The total crypto market cap is trading 70% from its peak, with Bitcoins market dominance at around 42.9%.　　The seven-month-long cryptocurrency bear market has exposed a painful reality: the vast majority of cryptocurrencies eventually lose practically all of their value.　　Crypto Crash Exposes Painful Reality　　With few exceptions, virtually all crypto assets have now lost more than 90% of their value against their all-time highs.　　According to data from the crypto price aggregator CoinGoLive, 13,240 or 98.5% of the 13,436 cryptocurrencies in existence are currently down 90% from their all-time highs. Of the 196 coins that have retraced less than 90% from their highs, 19 are stablecoins, meaning the exact percentage is slightly higher.　　Judging by the size of the pullback from their record prices, the best-performing significantly capitalized coins are BNB, Bitcoin, FTX, TRON, and Ethereum, with respective drawdowns of 68.9%, 69.1%, 72.4%, 75.1%, and 77.14%. Interestingly, Bitcoin‘s market dominance, which has historically fallen during bull markets and risen significantly during bear markets,

2022-06-16Deep Dive

Russia Developing Sandbox for Cross-border Crypto Payments

An institute facilitating Russian exports is now working on the establishment of a sandbox for international crypto payments, local media reported. The goal is to identify potential regulatory and technological challenges for settlements with digital assets.　　Russia Prepares to Test Crypto Payments for Exports in Dedicated Sandbox　　The Russian Export Center (REC), which is a state-run institute tasked to support Russias exports, is now considering the employment of digital currencies as an alternative approach to international settlements under sanctions.　　The organization believes that setting up a “cross-border digital sandbox” is a promising initiative. The project will aim to create opportunities for fintech companies to process payments using digital financial instruments on behalf of Russian exporters and importers.　　Settlements in cryptocurrencies represent an alternative payment system, which will develop incredibly quickly now, according to Veronika Nikishina who heads the REC. Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, she elaborated:　　As a development institution that captures all current trends, we are now closely studying the possibility of becoming a digital sandbox to pilot the use of cryptocurrencies in cross-border payments.　　Quoted by Tass, Nikishina added that the institute has already gathered representatives of fintech firms and regulatory bodies and is closely collaborating with the Central Bank of

2022-06-16Deep Dive

Bill Gates Lambasts NFTs

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates recently opined that non-fungible tokens are a “greater fool theory” type of investment.　　Gates sarcastically remarked that people who spend a fortune on pictures of apes would be able to make the world a much better place.　　The NFT bubble has predictably burst in the aftermath of the recent market correction, with the floor price for a Bored Ape Yacht Club recently plunging to the lowest level since last August. The cost of entry has plunged by almost 80% within just two months, with investors who bought the red-hot NFT pictures at much higher being left in the dust.　　Other popular NFT collection, including e CryptoPunks, have also plummeted in value.　　While NFTs have attracted plenty of endorsements from celebrities, some prominent personalities chose to dismiss them at their peak popularity. For instance, Canadian actor Keanu Reeves found the idea of paying tons of money for artworks that can be easily reproduced laughable.　　Gates‘s skepticism comes as no surprise given that he has been a long-time cryptocurrency critic. Back in May 2018, the billionaire claimed that he would be willing to short Bitcoin if he could. It seems like Gates hasn’t warmed up to cryptocurrencies given that he bemoaned their lack

2022-06-16Deep Dive

...

227229

...

737