BlockFi (a crypto asset management company) has announce that it has updated it interest rates. Accounts with over 25 Bitcoin BTC will receive a 0.15% increase in interest rate, and those with ether (ETH) balances between 25 and 75 ETH will decrease from 6.2% to 3.25%. BlockFi has been facing criticism from industry personnel targeting at the company’s terms and conditions, which allow the firm to set the interest rate each month at its sole discretion.
The just released version of open-source web browser, Firefox Quantum has come out with novel features to improve privacy and combat cryptojacking through its partnership with Disconnect. Albeit MalwareBytes (a cybersecurity firm) reaffirmed that cryptojacking at the consumer level is almost extinct by stating, “…consumer cryptomining seems to have gone the way of the dodo. Detections of consumer-focused bitcoin miners have dropped significantly over the last year…”
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has delayed its decision on the VanEck bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) proposal. The SEC has added a 35 day period for gathering more information and opinions on the proposal, which was initially filed by the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) last year. The SEC previously delayed its decision on the Securities Act update proposal which would allow bitcoin ETFs to be traded on CBOE.
Game of Thrones star Jerome Flynn, who plays Ser Bronn has floated his support for a “vegan cryptocurrency” called VeganCoin. He said, “Vegan Nation is the basis of an international vegan economy that makes vegan lives simpler, more economical, and better for the Earth and the soul of each of us. VeganCoin will allow many more to become vegans and thereby contribute to the reduction of our ecological footprint.”
There is distress among the investors in Argentina on fear that Kirchner returns to power, it will be a riskier as prospect because of her past populist policies. This made investors to explore alternate options including cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin). One investor shared, “If an Argentinian had bought Bitcoin at the highest point of the ‘biggest bubble in history,’ in 2017, he would have been better off than leaving his money in his Argentinian bank account.”
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have charged a 33-year old IT contractor for allegedly using government property for cryptocurrency mining. Chris Goldsmid of AFP explained, “Australian taxpayers put their trust in public officials to perform vital roles for our community with the utmost integrity. Any alleged criminal conduct which betrays this trust for personal gain will be investigated and prosecuted.”
Iran which is facing sanctions by the U.S. after the nuclear deal was scrapped by President Donald Trump. This caused both sides to raise political rhetoric and war cry, and there has been a significant surge Bitcoin Core (BTC) market in Iran unlike anywhere in the world. Tehran has already announced a plan to turn to a state-backed stablecoin to help with international bank payments.
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is still in information-gathering mode regarding a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). Dave Nadig, а leading authority on ETFs commented: “It is clear the SEC is still in information gathering mode. can do what they want, they can kick this down the road until they are comfortable, it is clear from what we are hearing.”
A senior official in Russia’s parliament, the State Duma, has argued that cryptocurrencies have the potential to ruin governments. Nikolai Arefiev, a member of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and vice-chairman of the Duma committee on economic policy, innovative development, and entrepreneurship, claimed that cryptocurrencies were created in order to hide large offshore assets from the government and argued that cryptos were created to hide money from the government.
Users of major instant messaging platform WhatsApp can now send and receive Bitcoin (BTC), Litecoin (LTC) and Ethereum (ETH), via this program by using the Lite.IM bot, developed by Swiss blockchain startup Zulu Republic, the company announced on Sunday. As a matter of fact, Zulu Republic first introduced its Litecoin platform Lite.im in August 2018 via which with a simple Telegram or SMS message.
