‘It isn’t just criminals who want privacy’

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is challenging United States President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination in the 2024 presidential election, has taken to Twitter again to share more of his thoughts on cryptocurrency. Kennedy criticized Biden on May 2 for calling the U.S. banking system “safe and sound” the previous day. “Today, bank stocks are crashing. The American people deserve more than glib assurances and perception management,” he tweeted. On May 3, Kennedy condemned the Biden administration’s proposed tax on crypto mining. An environmental lawyer, Kennedy called the proposed…

Israel Has Seized 190 Crypto Exchange Binance Accounts With Alleged Terrorist Ties Since 2021: Reuters

According to those documents, the NBCTF confiscated in January an undisclosed amount of crypto from two accounts with alleged links to Daesh, a terrorist group based in Syria and Iraq. Other government records, dating as far back as 2021, allege more than 100 of the seized Binance accounts had ties to Hamas, an armed Palestinian group that has often clashed with the Israeli Defense Forces. Author: Elizabeth Napolitano Source link

Kenya considers tax on crypto, NFT transfers and online influencers

Kenya’s lawmakers are considering the introduction of a 3% tax on cryptocurrency and nonfungible token (NFT) transfers and a 15% tax on monetized online content, according to a newly introduced bill. Introduced to the Kenyan parliament on May 4, The Finance Bill, 2023 would enact a digital asset tax on “income derived from the transfer or exchange of digital assets” which also included specific language for NFTs. The bill will undergo five rounds of readings, committees and reports by the National Assembly, if passed, it will then be passed to…

Bitget pledges $10M for Blockchain4Youth corporate responsibility project

On May 4, cryptocurrency derivatives exchange Bitget announced it would allocate $10 million over five years for its novel corporate social responsibility project. Dubbed “Blockchain4Youth,” the project will provide blockchain courses and certifications through Bitget Academy and host campus lectures in partnership with universities worldwide. In addition, Bitget staff wrote: “The platform will also collaborate with other leading blockchain firms to incubate innovative projects by young entrepreneurs and host U30 (Under the age of 30) hackathons to identify the most promising ones.” Blockchain4Youth will commence this month with a series…

Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) Could Face Risks From Potential Short Squeeze in Dollar Index; Crypto Options Trader QCP Capital

However, the good times may stop rolling if the heavily shorted U.S. dollar, which has recently found a “double bottom” price floor against major fiat currencies, sees a short squeeze – a rally powered by an unwinding of bearish bets, as per Singapore-based options trading firm QCP Capital. Author: Omkar Godbole Source link

Crypto.com launches ChatGPT-based AI user assistant Amy

Artificial intelligence (AI) continues its pervasive entry into industries worldwide. The latest crypto industry adoptee is Crypto.com, which announced its new generative AI user assistant. Crypto.com announced “Amy” on May 2. The crypto exchange’s new AI companion is built to inform users about the industry, including real-time token prices and projects, historical events, and more. According to the announcement, Amy, which uses ChatGPT as its base, is currently in the pilot phase to “gather learnings” before future expansion. Abhi Bisarya, the executive vice president of product at Crypto.com, says the…

Retail CBDCs bring unknown ‘consequences’ to financial system: IMF director

A myriad of unforeseeable “consequences” will be brought about by retail central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) claimed. The IMF’s Kristalina Georgieva erred on the side of caution regarding retail CBDCs in a May 1 interview at the Milken Institute’s 2023 Global Conference. Georgieva explained the IMF considers retail CBDCs to have far more room for error than wholesale CBDCs. “We think that wholesale CBDCs can be put in place with fairly little space for undesirable surprises, whereas retail CBDCs completely transform…

MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin conviction ‘strong’ as it posts Q1 profit

Business intelligence platform MicroStrategy has reiterated its commitment to its Bitcoin (BTC) investment strategy after turning its first quarterly profit since 2020.  The Michael Saylor-founded firm went back into the green in the first quarter of 2023 with a profit of $94 million, which was largely attributed to a one-time income tax benefit of $453.2 million. Phong Lee, the firm’s chief executive officer explained in the May 1 statement that MicroStrategy’s “conviction” in its Bitcoin (BTC) investment strategy is as “strong” as ever: “The conviction in our bitcoin strategy remains…

Bhutan mines Bitcoin with hydropower since BTC price was $5,000

The Kingdom of Bhutan is bullish on Bitcoin (BTC). Following the revelation that the small Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan has been quietly accumulating crypto, the country is also mining Bitcoin. Moreover, the country of less than 800,000 people leverages green energy to power its Bitcoin mining operations. Known for its focus on “Gross National Happiness” and picturesque landscapes, Bhutan has found ways to harness its immense hydroelectric potential, which accounts for 30% of its GDP. First reported in an exposé in local Bhutanese News followed by inquiries from Forbes, Bhutanese…