Focus

Why Grayscale’s New Digital Currency Ad Could Bring Crypto Investing To Millions

This morning Grayscale, the world’s largest provider of cryptocurrency investment vehicles, temporarily turned its attention away from hoovering up the supply of Bitcoin to focus on arguably the most intractable problem in all of crypto: getting your stubborn friends and family on board.  Last Friday Grayscale founder and CEO Barry Silbert teased a massive ad buy on Twitter with the intention to “brrring crypto to the masses” — and this morning he delivered, with spots on CNBC, MSNBC, FOX, and FOX Business, among others. The Grayscale blog, meanwhile, pitches the

Bitcoin Price Suddenly Drops by $500 in Seconds to Fill Futures ‘Gap’

Bitcoin (BTC) dropped several hundred dollars in seconds on Aug. 10 as $12,000 once more proved too hot to handle. Cryptocurrency market daily snapshot Aug. 6. Source: Coin360BTC price finds new focus at $11,700Data from Cointelegraph Markets and Coin360 showed BTC/USD nosedive 4% during Monday trading, bouncing off $11,500 and since returning to $11,700.In doing so, Bitcoin neatly filled the latest gap in CME Group’s Bitcoin futures markets, which lay just below $11,700. BTC/USD 1-day price chart. Source: Coin360A classic move, Cointelegraph predicted on the day that markets would likely attempt to

China: Loudi City Mayor Promotes Blockchain to Fight Crime

The mayor of Loudi, a city in China’s Hunan province, has characterized blockchain technology as a powerful “weapon” that can effectively tackle crime.At a meeting of Loudi’s Municipal Public Security Bureau on Aug. 10, Mayor Yang Yiwen responded to reports on the progress of a trial blockchain project that is currently being conducted by the bureau and a local technology firm. The project combines blockchain technology with multi-party computing and big data to improve trusted data exchange and information traceability across a collaborative network. This network unites telecommunication network operators, banks and

The Price of Bitcoin Is Facing Its Final Resistance Zone Before $15K

The price of Bitcoin (BTC) is facing its final resistance zone until the bull market is on fire. However, will it break through this resistance zone in one attempt? The charts suggest that the $11,600-12,000 area is a crucial level to break if the price of BTC is to continue moving higher. As the price of Bitcoin couldn’t break through that resistance zone, a slight drop occurred on Friday from $11,900 to $11,350, after which BTC has managed to pare most of the losses since.Crypto market daily performance. Source: Coin360Bitcoin faces

Slow But Steady: FATF Review Highlights Crypto Exchanges’ Struggle to Meet AML Standards

In June 2019, the intergovernmental Financial Action Task Force (FATF) introduced its revised set of standards for virtual asset service providers. The document establishes the anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism (AML/CFT) requirements that regulated VASPs —  the term mainly referring to cryptocurrency trading platforms — must eventually implement in their day-to-day operations. The guidelines are framed as recommendations, and the FATF leaves it to the participating nations’ governments to develop their own regulations in accordance with suggested principles.The watchdog has also set a 12-month review timeframe to monitor the public and

Major South Korean Bank Joins the Crypto Custody Business

KB Kookmin Bank, one of the largest banks in South Korea, has partnered with blockchain venture fund, Hashed, and crypto trading platform, Cumberland Korea, to establish “strategic technology cooperation” on the custody of digital assets.The companies belonging to the partnership state that their inception into the crypto custody business is a response to regulatory changes. These changes encouraged them to look into new business models — specifically ones which rely on blockchain technology.Simon Kim, CEO of the Seoul and San Francisco-based firm, Hashed, stated:"Combining our insight in the blockchain industry

Ethereum DeFi’s Ampleforth (AMPL) Drops 20% Despite “Whale” Accumulation

Ampleforth (AMPL) has been one of the top-performing cryptocurrencies over the past month. The asset, whose long-term price performance is measured by its market capitalization rather than its nominal price, gained ~5,000% in July. The asset has seen a steep correction over the past week as the focus of crypto investors has been on Bitcoin and Ethereum. After a recovery, AMPL is dropping once again. This drop comes in spite of positive on-chain and social media signs, according to blockchain analytics firm Santiment. Ampleforth Drops 20% Despite On-Chain Data Indicating

What Are Analysts Saying After Ethereum Crashed 26% in Under Ten Minutes?

After a nearly unstoppable rally, Bitcoin and Ethereum faced an extreme correction just an hour ago. After moving above $12,000 for the first time in a year, BTC slipped by about $1,500 in five minutes while Ethereum crashed upwards of 26%, per some reports. Chart of ETH's recent price action from TradingView.com This extreme move — which was arguably one of the fastest drops in the history of this market — sent ripples throughout the market. According to one trader, $1 billion worth of Bitcoin and Ethereum futures positions were

Former Bakkt CEO to Sell All Holdings After Insider Trading Accusations

Following major accusations of insider stock trading during the coronavirus-induced market crash, Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), the former CEO of Bakkt, is liquidating her holdings with her husband.In an April 8 tweet, Loeffler said that she and her husband Jeffrey Sprecher, CEO of ICE, which is the company that owns Bitcoin (BTC) options contracts regulator Bakkt, are liquidating their holdings in managed accounts to focus on tackling the coronavirus situation.“I’m doing it because the issue isn’t worth the distraction”The former CEO of Bakkt has also published an opinion piece in

Fear, Greed and the Evolution of Money in the Age of the Coronavirus Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic is not going to end soon. Fear and anxiety have skyrocketed, and nearly half of the people in the United States feel the coronavirus has harmed their mental health. People are scared, anxious, depressed, on edge and struggling to sleep through the night.We watched as China took extreme measures to improve the coronavirus crisis there. We watched as Italy locked down the country and people scurried to other parts of Europe. We then watched as California Governor Gavin Newsom took early measures for the U.S. and locked