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Hard Forks, Soft Forks, Defaults and Coercion

One of the important arguments in the blockchain space is that of whether hard forks or soft forks are the preferred protocol upgrade mechanism. The basic difference between the two is that soft forks change the rules of a protocol by strictly reducing the set of transactions that is valid, so nodes following the old rules will still get on the new chain (provided that the majority of miners/validators implements the fork), whereas hard forks allow previously invalid transactions and blocks to become valid, so clients must upgrade their clients

The Tightrope of Regulation

In a significant move at the recent G20 meeting in India, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Financial Stability Board (FSB) released a joint paper outlining a framework for the global regulation of cryptocurrencies. While the proposals mostly tread familiar territory, what’s new is their conviction in crypto’s unstoppable growth and success. A flurry of optimism greeted the G20’s endorsement of the report because it advocates that countries don’t ban crypto. Hidden in its text, however, are some worrying signs. For example, on the first page, they state, “Widespread

India Considering Registration, Taxation in Crypto Regulation

India’s government is planning regulations that could require coins to register before being listed and traded on exchanges.Sponsored Sponsored According to anonymous sources from Reuters, the process is intentionally cumbersome in order to deter investors from holding cryptocurrencies. Only coins that have been pre-approved by the government may be traded, with those holding other coins risking a penalty. This regulation would create a barrier of entry for thousands of peer-to-peer currencies if carried out. Another senior government source claimed that capital gains and other taxes, potentially amounting to over 40%,

This Singapore Banking Giant May Offer Crypto Services Soon

Amid Singapore’s ongoing effort to establish itself as a key player in the global crypto economy by laying out a clear regulatory framework, one of the country’s leading banking institutions, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. (OCBC) is considering the incorporation of crypto services by setting up a crypto exchange. The Chief Executive Officer at OCBC, Helen Wong told Bloomberg in an exclusive interview that the bank is researching the subject of starting a crypto exchange. However, she noted that OCBC’s intent to explore the decentralized industry is not driven by its popularity,

Norway Considers Backing Swedish Crypto Ban Proposal, Hints Minister

Norway is considering a crypto mining ban proposal put forth by two Swedish regulatory officials, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Bjørn Arild Gram hinted in a Nov. 17 interview with Euronews. Norway is “currently considering potential policy measures” to address the “challenges related to crypto mining.” In this context, they are “looking at the solutions proposed by the Swedish regulators” with an eye on Europe-wide regulations, Gram said. In an open letter, officials from two of Sweden’s top regulators called for Europe to ban proof-of-work mining in order

Crypto Investor News for 11/17

Staples Center to be Renamed Crypto.com Arena (BBC): The tipping point has arrived. Investor takeaway: Expect everyone you know to suddenly become interested in crypto investing. We’ve gone mainstream. How India is Regulating Crypto (Economic Times): India will ban crypto for payments, ban crypto advertising, and allow crypto as investments. Investor takeaway: Overall positive news for us, as it gives a government stamp of approval on crypto investing. Thank you to India for taking the lead on thoughtful regulation. ConsenSys is Now Worth $3.2 Billion (ConsenSys): Celebrating its latest funding

First crypto-related exchange-traded fund gets green light in India

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has approved the first cryptocurrency ETF. According to local media, the regulator has approved Invesco’s CoinShares Global Blockchain ETF Fund. The fund owns Coinbase, Bitfarms, SBI Holdings, and MicroStrategy, among others. The fund has had a good year, earning 89.52% in returns. Invesco is positive about the asset class’s future, it noted in a document. Blockchain technology Because blockchain technology is new, the potential to change the global economy is huge. Like the internet, blockchain offers massive potential to investors. For institutional

Crypto Valley Roundup – Fall 2021

The Crypto Valley is known to be one of the most “crypto-friendly” regions in the world. But what specifically is happening within the Blockchain ecosystem? The “Crypto Valley Roundup” aims to provide insight and highlights from selected events every two months.Sponsored Sponsored With the first Blockchain companies settling in the area of Zug from 2013 onwards, the term “Crypto Valley” was soon born in reference to the “Silicon Valley”. Thanks to politics and regulation, Switzerland was able to create the necessary legal certainty for a flourishing ecosystem around Blockchain and

U.S. Banks Entering Cryptocurrency Adds Real Legitimacy To The Industry

The United States government is once again adding more legitimacy and credibility to the rapidly growing cryptocurrency industry. This is through clear regulations that will further incorporate the sector into the country’s financial system and economy. Sponsored Sponsored In an interview with Reuters, Jelena McWilliams, chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), said that banks must be allowed to hold crypto on their balance sheets, provide custodial accounts in digital assets and facilitate crypto trading for clients. Thus, demonstrating the rapid rise of digital assets this year. In addition to

Chinese Crypto Exchange BitZ Announces Closure as Crackdown Continues

Amidst another major crypto clampdown in China, the 4-year old Chinese exchange BitZ shutters its operations. Sponsored Sponsored The cryptocurrency exchange BitZ announced its closure after four years of operating one of the most popular online exchanges. It stated “policy and regulatory requirements” as the reasons behind its latest development.  While the actual closure date is set for October 21, 2021, the exchange said it suspended new user registration and KYC earlier. Those operations stopped on Mainland China back on September 26, 2021. However, only a few days prior the exchange

U.S. Won’t Ban Crypto | This Week in Crypto – Oct 4, 2021

 The US gives a green light to cryptos, TikTok launches its own NFTs, and can professional crypto traders be outmatched…by a hamster?! These stories and more this week in crypto. The Chairman of the US Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell said that the United States has no intentions of banning cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin. He still asserted that some digital assets, stablecoins in particular, have to be regulated. This fresh, more optimistic US approach had an immediate positive effect on the entire market at the end of the week. TikTok has