South Africa Working Group Releases New Position Paper Calling for Regulation of Crypto Asset Providers

South Africa’s Intergovernmental Fintech Working Group (IFWG) has a released new position paper that calls for the regulation of the country’s cryptocurrency ecosystem. In the document, the IFWG, which is a creation of the South Africa Reserve Bank (SARB), recommends “a staged approach to bring crypto-assets within the regulatory remit through the regulation of crypto asset service providers (CASPs).” Crypto Service Providers to Adhere to AML/CFT Requirements The 49-page document also “sets out 25 recommendations for a revised South African policy, legal and regulatory position on crypto assets and related…

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Indian Government May Regulate Crypto as Asset Class: Report

India may be regulating crypto as an asset class under the purview of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). In addition, a crypto bill is likely to be introduced during the Monsoon session of parliament, local media reported. Indian Government Reportedly Considers Regulating Crypto as an Asset Class The Indian government has yet to introduce a cryptocurrency bill. An existing bill seeks to ban cryptocurrencies. However, there have been reports of the government re-evaluating the recommendations within the bill. The New Indian Express reported Friday that top sources…

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Bitcoinization: JPMorgan Notes ‘Similarly Situated’ Countries Could Make Bitcoin Legal Tender Like El Salvador

JPMorgan struggles to “see any tangible economic benefits associated with adopting bitcoin as a second form of legal tender.” Commenting on El Salvador’s bitcoinization, JPMorgan did not rule out that the country’s move to make the cryptocurrency legal tender may be “the beginning of a broader trend among similarly situated, smaller nations.” JPMorgan’s Opinion on Bitcoinization in El Salvador Investment bank JPMorgan released a report Friday titled “The Bitcoinization of El Salvador.” The country’s congress passed the bill making bitcoin legal tender on Wednesday, becoming the first nation to do…

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An Open Letter To The Nigerian Government: Pursue A Bitcoin Standard

NFL star and Nigerian descendant Russell Okung asks the Nigerian government to adopt a Bitcoin standard or risk falling behind. Greetings President Muhammadu Buhari, The hope of Nigeria lies within this generation. I am proudly a Nigerian descendant living in America and am a proponent of Bitcoin. I write to urge the Nigerian government to pursue economic independence and financial sovereignty by pursuing a national Bitcoin standard. Soon every nation will be faced with this decision, but those who seize the present moment proactively as we have just witnessed in…

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SEC and CFTC Caution Investors About Funds Trading in Bitcoin Futures

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have warned investors of the risks of investing in funds with exposure to bitcoin futures. The SEC published an investor alert on funds trading in bitcoin futures Thursday. The alert comes from the SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) and the CFTC’s Office of Customer Education and Outreach (OCEO). They pointed out that some funds may engage in the trading of bitcoin futures contracts as a way to gain exposure to bitcoin, emphasizing that…

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Stock-to-Flow Creator Says ‘$288K Still in Play,’ Mike McGlone Sees an ‘Ace up Bitcoin’s Sleeve’

The popular Twitter account and creator of the bitcoin stock-to-flow (S2F) price model explained that “$288K [is] still in play.” Meanwhile, data from the exchange Deribit shows there’s 425 bitcoin call options with a strike price of $200K set for December 31, 2021. Plan B Says: ‘$288K Still in Play’ On June 12, 2021, while bitcoin (BTC) prices have been hovering just above the $35K zone, the popular Twitter account Plan B (@100trillionusd) told his 553,000 followers that six-figure bitcoin prices are still intact. Plan B is a pseudonym and…

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Taproot Lock-in Achieved — Bitcoin Network Set to Activate Biggest Upgrade in Four Years

The ‘Speedy Trial’ lock-in period for the Bitcoin network upgrade Taproot is now complete. Data from taproot.watch details the lock-in has been achieved and it was locked in at block height 687,285 and mined by the mining pool Slushpool. Bitcoin Taproot Lock-in Complete at Block Height 687,285 Taproot is coming this November as the web portal taproot.watch indicates that the lock-in period of signaling has finished. “This period has reached 1815 Taproot signaling blocks, which is required for lock-in.” The Taproot upgrade is considered one of the largest upgrades in…

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Taproot Activation Brings Massive Upgrades To Bitcoin

Taproot brings new optimizations to security and usability to the Bitcoin network as the activation is locked in. By the time this is published, Taproot will be locked-in for activation. This means that on block 709,632 (mid-November 2021), the new rules defined by a series of Bitcoin Improvement Proposals (BIPs) will be activated and start being enforced. This is a momentous achievement for Bitcoin and will enable so many awesome new things for not just Bitcoin but everything built on top of it, too. Previously, it was debated if Bitcoin…

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FBI Seizes 800 Beverly Hills Safety Deposit Boxes With $86M, Attorneys Claim Fed’s Raid ‘Unconstitutional’

The Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) is under fire for an alleged unconstitutional seizure of 800 safety deposit boxes in Beverly Hills. According to reports, the FBI confiscated $86 million in cash, jewelry, and thousands of gold and silver bars. Box holders and their lawyers are calling out the federal law enforcement agency for lacking sufficient proof that the boxes held evidence of being tied to specific crimes. Abuse of Power? Lawyers Believe the FBI Seized People’s Life Savings in an Unconstitutional Manner The FBI has seized over 800 safety deposit…

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Basel Committee Proposes Differentiating Regulation of Crypto Assets Based on Risks to Banks

The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision has proposed dividing crypto assets into two groups and regulating them based on their market, liquidity, credit, and operational risks to banks. Cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin, will be subject to “a new conservative prudential treatment.” Crypto Regulation Proposed by Basel Committee on Banking Supervision The Basel Committee has proposed regulating crypto assets based on their risks to banks. The Bank of International Settlement (BIS) published the committee’s public consultation on “preliminary proposals for the prudential treatment of banks’ cryptoasset exposures” Thursday. The BIS explained…

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