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Showing posts from January, 2024

‘Quantum Cats’ Launch Faces Technical Glitches, Taproot Wizards Postpones NFT Sale #Bitcoin https://ift.tt/MZqHyTl

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“Quantum Cats” Bitcoin NFTs was marred by technical issues, forcing the company to postpone the sale. Despite an initially successful minting of nearly 1,000 cats, server overload led to an unexpected delay, causing frustration among eager buyers. ‘Quantum Cats’ Bitcoin NFT Launch Stumbles: Rescheduled Amid Technical Woes The sale of Taproot Wizards’ first collection of Bitcoin inscriptions, “Quantum Cats,” faced technical difficulties, causing frustration among users and leading to an unforeseen postponement. This setback occurred during the launch of the debut collection, designed to commemorate the Bitcoin improvement proposal known as OP_CAT. The initial sale, featuring approximately 3,000 digital cats, began with a two-hour “whitelist” window at 17:00 UTC on Monday. However, due to unexpected technical issues, the sale was abruptly pushed to Tuesday. Taproot Wizards, in a statement on social media platform X, attributed the delay to overwhelming demand exceeding server capaci...

China Emerging As Surprising Source Of Bitcoin Demand

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Chinese investors are in panic mode as their stock markets crash. Some are turning to bitcoin’s store-of-value and exciting investment thesis. bit.ly/3f7o14k http://dlvr.it/T25Vng

Argentine Government Drops Crypto Legalizing Opportunity From Omnibus Bill #Bitcoin https://ift.tt/MZqHyTl

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The Argentine government, presided by Javier Milei, has resolved to drop the tax opportunities for crypto in the omnibus bill presented to Congress. The bill allowed taxpayers to declare the ownership of some previously undeclared assets, with crypto also included, reducing the payments and fees for this task. Argentine Government Excludes Crypto Opportunities From Omnibus Bill The Argentine government has withdrawn the opportunities for declaring ownership of certain assets, including crypto, from the omnibus bill presented to Congress this month. The bill, titled “Law of Bases and Starting Points for the Freedom of Argentines,” seeks to advance reforms in several areas, including getting legislative powers for President Javier Milei, who could take action directly in several fields, sidestepping Congress. Guillermo Francos, minister of interior, stated that the decision to withdraw these proposals derived from the lack of consensus in Congress regarding this part of the bill. Ac...

Invesco and Galaxy Slash Fees in Competitive Spot Bitcoin ETF Market #Bitcoin https://ift.tt/MZqHyTl

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Responding to the fierce competition in the spot bitcoin ETF market, Invesco and Galaxy Asset Management have lowered the long term fee of their joint BTCO fund, positioning it more competitively against sector heavyweights. Invesco and Galaxy ETF Fee Slashed in Response to Intense Market Competition In a strategic move to gain traction in the highly competitive spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) market, Invesco and Galaxy Asset Management have reduced the fee for their joint spot bitcoin ETF, the Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF (BTCO). This decision, announced on Monday , marks the latest move in the ongoing fee war amongst issuers of this new financial product. The fee reduction brings BTCO’s expense ratio down from 0.39% to 0.25%. Additionally, Invesco has announced a waiver of these fees for the first six months or until the ETF reaches $5 billion in assets under management (AUM). This aggressive pricing strategy aims to bolster the fund’s appeal among investors and compete mor...

Super Bowl 58 Wagers Heat up — 49ers Lead as Crypto Betting Markets Favor Their Victory #Bitcoin https://ift.tt/MZqHyTl

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In just under two weeks, the National Football League (NFL) champions of the American Football Conference (AFC), the Kansas City Chiefs, and their counterparts from the National Football Conference (NFC), the San Francisco 49ers, will clash in the much-anticipated Super Bowl 58. As of right now, various cryptocurrency betting platforms indicate a preference for the 49ers to emerge victorious in the championship showdown. 49ers Edge Out Chiefs in Crypto Betting Markets On February 11, 2024, a showdown is set between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, sparking a surge in betting activity. Crypto enthusiasts have also been actively wagering on the NFL’s forthcoming title match, with the 49ers emerging as the nominal frontrunner for victory. Polymarket , the decentralized prediction market operating on Polygon, suggests that the 49ers hold a 52% likelihood of victory, while the Chiefs are close behind with a 48% chance. As of Jan. 30, 2024, wagers ...

Bitcoin’s Biggest Event: Kraken And Bitcoin Magazine Host The 2024 Bitcoin Halving Livestream Event

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Join the global Bitcoin community for a New Year's Eve-style celebration of the 2024 Bitcoin Halving, live from Nashville, courtesy of Bitcoin Magazine and Kraken. bit.ly/3f7o14k http://dlvr.it/T259N5

Bitcoin Is Pure Anarchy

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Bitcoin's "governance" process is defined literally and succinctly by a single word: anarchy. It is literally impossible for a voluntary and distributed system to be "governed" in any other way. bit.ly/3f7o14k http://dlvr.it/T24mp6

Ten31 Marks First Public Listing for Bitcoin-Focused Venture Fund With BTC Miner GRIID

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Ten31 has also announced a grant to independent bitcoin developer calle for his Bitcoin powered Chaumian ecash. bit.ly/3f7o14k http://dlvr.it/T24mNt

9 Newly Launched Spot Bitcoin ETFs Accumulate BTC Holdings Worth Nearly $6 Billion #Bitcoin https://ift.tt/3W19ygw

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Current data reveals that Blackrock’s IBIT spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) currently possesses 52,025.76 bitcoin, with a total value of $2.18 billion. Furthermore, Fidelity’s FBTC has increased its bitcoin holdings, now standing at 46,238.09 bitcoin as of Jan. 29, 2024. Blackrock Snags 52,025 Bitcoin, While Fidelity Now Holds 46,238 Several of the nine new spot bitcoin ETFs have amassed even more bitcoin, as indicated by their recent company statements. Excluding Grayscale’s GBTC, Blackrock’s IBIT takes the lead as the largest spot BTC ETF in terms of bitcoin holdings. On Jan. 29, the web portal displayed that the fund holds 52,025.76 BTC . Fidelity has also bolstered its FBTC holdings, rising from 43,855.14 BTC on January 26 to the current 46,238.09 BTC . The third-largest spot bitcoin ETF, Ark Invest’s 21shares fund, known as ARKB, holds a substantial 14,390 BTC . Following closely is Bitwise ETF BITB, which now possesses 13, 576.10 bitcoin, as reported by onchain data...

Report: Bitcoin and L2 Networks Lead Fee Generation Surge in Blockchain Landscape #Bitcoin https://ift.tt/3W19ygw

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The PWN DAO Foundation, linked to the peer-to-peer lending protocol PWN, has released a comprehensive report analyzing user-incurred onchain fees within major blockchain networks and decentralized applications (dapps) for the past year. The 2023 analysis examines Ethereum, BNB Chain, Bitcoin, and layer two (L2) solutions, along with widely-used dapps such as Aave and Uniswap. The report sheds light on the primary trends in fee generation and discusses the changing patterns of blockchain utilization and revenue. 2023’s L1 and L2 Fee Generation Stats Revealed The report published by PWN , illustrates a diverse landscape of onchain fee generation, underscoring a 33% overall reduction in fees across the selected projects compared to the previous year. This trend was particularly pronounced in non-fungible token (NFT) marketplaces, which experienced an 87% drop in fee generation. In contrast, L2 solutions exhibited significant growth of around 411%, indicating a shift in user preferen...

BlackRock's Spot Bitcoin ETF Volume Topping GBTC Today, Signaling Market Shift

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Bitcoin pumps to over $43,000 as GBTC selling pressure weakens. bit.ly/3f7o14k http://dlvr.it/T22dyN

Game Theory Of Financial Crime: Policy Takeaways From Bitcoin

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Bitcoin is no longer the dominant cryptocurrency for black market activity. Policy makers need to adapt to this new reality. bit.ly/3f7o14k http://dlvr.it/T22Ftf

Vanguard Says No to Bitcoin ETFs — Views Crypto as ‘Immature Asset Class’ With ‘No Inherent Economic Value’ #Bitcoin https://ift.tt/KNXm0aG

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Financial giant Vanguard has explained why the firm does not make spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) available on its trading platform. A Vanguard executive stressed that cryptocurrency is “an immature asset class that has little history, no inherent economic value, no cash flow, and can create havoc within a portfolio.” Vanguard Explains Why It Disallows Spot Bitcoin ETFs Vanguard published a blog post titled “No Bitcoin ETFs at Vanguard? Here’s why” on Jan. 24, explaining the firm’s stance on cryptocurrency and why it does not allow clients to trade the newly approved spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Vanguard serves more than 50 million investors worldwide as of Dec. 31, 2023. The firm manages around $8 trillion globally. Following the approval of 11 spot bitcoin ETFs by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) earlier this month, Vanguard has drawn attention for disallowing its clients to trade the newly launched products. The company also has no plans...

Market Strategist Gareth Soloway Eyes $15K Bitcoin in Event of Stock Market Slide #Bitcoin https://ift.tt/KNXm0aG

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In a recent interview with Gareth Soloway, the chief market strategist at verifiedinvesting.com, Soloway suggested that bitcoin might revisit the $15K level should a significant stock market sell-off occur. Soloway Predicts Potential Bitcoin Dip to $15K Two days ago, in a freshly released Youtube video, Gareth Soloway of verifiedinvesting.com engaged in a new interview with Michelle Makori, Kitco News’ lead anchor and editor-in-chief, delving into bitcoin’s latest trends and its potential future trajectory. Soloway shared insights on his approach to analyzing various data sets for forecasting future trends and drawing conclusions. He highlighted the alignment of the 2017 and 2021 bitcoin bull markets with significant events: the introduction of regulated bitcoin futures in 2017 and the Coinbase initial public offering (IPO) in 2021. Soloway said: These big news stories create so much hype and the top in bitcoin. For Soloway, the current bitcoin price level and its recent do...

Coinbase Nears Historic 1 Million Bitcoin Milestone Amid Rise in Reserves and ETF Activity #Bitcoin https://ift.tt/KNXm0aG

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Recent data reveals Coinbase Global is on the brink of holding 1 million bitcoins, requiring just an additional 5,019 bitcoins to cross this significant milestone. In the preceding fortnight, Coinbase has witnessed its bitcoin reserves grow by 16,404 bitcoins, inching closer to this noteworthy threshold. Coinbase on Cusp of 1 Million Bitcoin Coinbase (Nasdaq: COIN ) is edging nearer to the 1 million bitcoin mark, currently possessing 994,981 BTC valued at $42.17 billion. Trailing only behind Satoshi Nakamoto , Coinbase stands as the most substantial bitcoin holder in the industry. Over the recent two weeks , the exchange observed a deposit of 16,404 bitcoins, amounting to $694 million. Meanwhile, Coinbase Pro, the firm’s trading platform, recorded a withdrawal of 4,624.56 BTC , as indicated by its 30-day outflow data. There’s a significant flurry of activity among the ten new U.S.-based spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Since Jan. 12, 2024, Grayscale’s GBTC reserves dim...

2024 Sees Steepest Weekly Plunge in NFT Sales, 5 Major Blockchains Register Double-Digit Losses #Bitcoin https://ift.tt/KNXm0aG

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In the span between Jan. 20 to Jan. 27, 2024, there was a notable decline in the sales volume stemming from non-fungible tokens (NFTs), plunging 21.25% from the week before. The leading blockchains in seven-day sales, Ethereum and Bitcoin, experienced substantial decreases, ranging from 28.78% to 12.62%, respectively. NFT Market Faces Sharp Decline At the onset of 2024, NFT sales dipped by 1.31%, falling below the last week’s figures of 2023. The subsequent week witnessed a marginal rise in NFT sales, approximately 0.05%, but last week experienced a 5.05% drop in digital collectible sales. This week marked the steepest decline in 2024, with sales plunging over 21% compared to the previous seven days. According to metrics from cryptoslam.io , the total amounted to $228,327,660. This downturn contrasts with the year-end surge in NFT sales during 2023, largely driven by Bitcoin blockchain-based NFT transactions. In November and December of 2023, Bitcoin’s NFT sales dominated, conti...

JPMorgan Sees Downward Pressure Easing for Bitcoin as Grayscale Profit-Taking Fades #Bitcoin https://ift.tt/lKTG7Dt

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Global investment bank JPMorgan says that profit-taking from Grayscale’s bitcoin trust (GBTC) has largely happened already. “This would imply that most of the downward pressure on bitcoin from that channel should be largely behind us,” the bank’s analyst explained. JPMorgan’s Bitcoin Price Outlook Global investment bank JPMorgan weighed in on the crypto market again this week following a bitcoin selloff that saw the price of BTC dropping from above $47K before the spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) approvals to below $39K this week. The bitcoin selloff is accompanied by massive outflows from Grayscale’s bitcoin trust (GBTC), which converted into a spot bitcoin ETF following the approval by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Jan. 10. Since Jan. 12, GBTC’s bitcoin holdings have decreased by 114,367.39 BTC , equivalent to $4.77 billion, based on the BTC exchange rates as of Jan. 27. On Thursday, JPMorgan strategist Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou said: “Given $4.3b ...

Bitcoin’s Fourth Halving May Unleash the ‘Mother of All Reorgs,’ Ordiscan Founder Predicts #Bitcoin https://ift.tt/lKTG7Dt

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The crypto community is abuzz with anticipation for the upcoming Bitcoin network halving event, projected to occur on or around April 20, 2024. This event is sparking widespread speculation about its distinct importance. As the fourth Bitcoin halving nears, a theory of a potential major blockchain reorganization, fueled by the extraordinary worth of the halving block, is seizing the attention of crypto enthusiasts. Ordiscan Founder Says Bitcoin’s Next Halving May Trigger Unprecedented Reorg The upcoming Bitcoin network’s reward halving is not just a routine milestone. With less than 13,000 blocks left until the halving, occurring at block height 840,000, this event might mark a historic turning point for the protocol. Tristan , the founder of Ordiscan.com , emphasizes the unusual nature of this halving in a blog post called “The Next Bitcoin Halving Will be Reorged.” In the blog post, the author claims that Bitcoin block 840,000 is predicted to have the most valuable block reward...

Analysts Suggest Financial Giant Charles Schwab Poised to Shake Up Bitcoin ETF Market With Potential Late Entry #Bitcoin https://ift.tt/lKTG7Dt

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In the wake of a noteworthy 11-day period during which U.S.-centered spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) amassed a trading volume totaling $25.36 billion, discussions have emerged about the potential involvement of Charles Schwab, the American multinational financial services corporation. Eric Balchunas, Bloomberg’s lead ETF analyst, advises, “don’t sleep on Schwab, they’re never first to market in anything but they make back impact when they come in.” Analyst Predicts Charles Schwab’s Delayed Move to Disrupt Bitcoin ETF Arena Recent conversations have surfaced about Charles Schwab gearing up to introduce a spot bitcoin ETF, hot on the heels of the debut of ten U.S.-based ETFs on Jan. 11, 2024. In her article on riabiz.com, Lisa Shidler touches upon this development, remarking that “Charles Schwab Corp. is being cryptic about cryptocurrency.” Shidler delves into how Schwab might leverage its extensive scale and competitive low-fee pricing strategy to make a bold move with i...

Bitcoin’s Hashrate Rebounds From January Dip as Miners Eye Upcoming Difficulty Adjustment #Bitcoin https://ift.tt/lKTG7Dt

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Bitcoin’s cumulative hashrate witnessed notable swings starting in late December, with a pronounced decline occurring in mid-January. This decrease was primarily attributed to the severe cold in Texas, leading many miners to pause their operations temporarily. By Jan. 21, 2024, the hashrate’s seven-day simple moving average (SMA) dipped under the 500 exahash per second (EH/s) mark, plunging to a year’s low at 482 EH/s. However, since this low, the hashrate has rebounded, showing a 10.99% increase to 535 EH/s. Bitcoin Network Demonstrates Strength With Hashrate Revival In the past six days, the hashrate of Bitcoin ascended to 535 EH/s, according to the seven-day SMA from Luxor’s hashrateindex.com. The three-day SMA highlights a zenith of 559 EH/s, while the monthly average is recorded at 522 EH/s. The seven-day indicators point to a 10.99% surge from the trough of 482 EH/s, leading to block times now marginally outpacing the standard ten-minute interval. Presently, block durations ...

Worldcoin to Redesign Iris Scanning Orb #Bitcoin https://ift.tt/wfPjNTs

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Worldcoin will change the design of the Orb, the device used for scanning the irises of users as proof of personhood for the project, to be more friendly and less polarizing. Alex Blania, CEO and co-founder of Tools For Humanity, the company behind Worldcoin, stated that the next iteration would be akin to an “Apple product.” Worldcoin Redesigns the Orb to Be “Much More Friendly” Worldcoin, the biometric ID and wallet project, is making changes to the Orb, a device used to scan the irises of users wishing to prove their personhood, to make it less polarizing. Alex Blania, CEO of Tools for Humanity, explained that the current design of the Orb was agreed upon before he arrived at the company almost four years ago. Blania hopes to tone down the device with a programmed upgrade, making it more appealing and adding personalization options. In a chat, Blania told Techcrunch more about this redesign. He explained: The new Orb is coming and the next iterations will look quite different...

Ethereum Foundation Reveals Finalized Dencun Upgrade Timeline #Bitcoin https://ift.tt/wfPjNTs

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In a recent announcement by the Ethereum Foundation, the Ethereum blockchain network is set for a major enhancement through the introduction of Dencun. The foundation elaborated that Dencun is scheduled to launch on the Sepolia network at epoch 132,608 on Jan. 30, 2024, and will subsequently activate on the Holesky network at epoch 29,696 on Feb. 7, 2024. Ethereum’s Path to Upgrade: Foundation Announces Dencun Timeline, Targeting Scalability Boost The Ethereum Foundation has published a timeline for the upcoming Sepolia, Holesky, and Dencun milestones. Dencun’s most notable introduction is Proto-Danksharding , a groundbreaking concept aimed at future scalability enhancements. This innovation is expected to optimize gas fees significantly, making transactions more cost-effective for users. The upgrade also focuses on improving the network’s modular scalability, an essential aspect of Ethereum’s expanding ecosystem . Following successful activations on Sepolia and Holesky, Dencun ...

Trezor Issues Urgent Alert on New Phishing Scam #Bitcoin https://ift.tt/wfPjNTs

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Trezor has confirmed a series of deceptive phishing emails targeting its users, coming just days after a security breach at their support portal. The company has issued an urgent security alert, advising users to be extra cautious. Trezor Alerts Users to Phishing Danger Amidst Ongoing Security Challenges Hardware wallet provider Trezor has issued an urgent security alert to its users about a new wave of phishing emails. This alert comes just days after a breach was reported at their third-party support portal. On Jan. 24 Trezor confirmed the unauthorized use of its third-party email service provider, leading to a series of deceptive emails targeting its user base. According to Trezor’s official blog , the emails, appearing to be sent from “noreply@trezor.io,” falsely prompted users to upgrade their network, threatening the loss of funds if not complied with. The email contained a malicious link designed to extract users’ seed phrases. Security Alert We’ve detected an unauthori...

Craig Wright Offers Settlement in Disputed Bitcoin Creator Case #Bitcoin https://ift.tt/wfPjNTs

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Craig Wright, who claims to be the creator of Bitcoin, has presented a non-negotiable settlement, potentially ending the contentious legal battle over the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin’s pseudonymous founder. Bitcoin’s Alleged Creator Proposes Settlement Amidst Forged Document Allegations Craig Wright, the self-proclaimed inventor of Bitcoin, has made a public, non-negotiable settlement offer to the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), Coinbase, Kraken, and the Bitcoin Core developers, amid a heated legal battle concerning the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto , the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin. In October 2023, Wright submitted new evidence, which he alleged supported his claim, including a “Bitcoin White Paper” and a 2007 computer “time capsule.” However, a revelation emerged from expert witnesses for both COPA and Wright, who agreed that these documents were recent forgeries. Both parties’ forensic experts concluded that the Bitcoin white paper , purportedly wri...

GBTC Outflows: Forecasting Total Bitcoin Selling Pressure & Market Impact

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Despite $824 million of net inflows since Spot ETF approval, bitcoin fell 19% in part from $4.39 billion bleeding out of GBTC. This is good for Bitcoin. bit.ly/3f7o14k http://dlvr.it/T1wJGw

Bitcoin ETFs: Reshaping Finance And Politics For The 2024 Elections

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Bitcoin Spot ETFs going live is a signal that Bitcoin isn't going anywhere, and politicians are going to have to start developing strategies to confront that reality. bit.ly/3f7o14k http://dlvr.it/T1wHrq

Topps Navigates Web3 Hurdles: Shifts to Fortress Amid Regulatory Challenges in NFT Expansion #Bitcoin https://ift.tt/jctgZPe

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This week the collectibles and candy company Topps communicated with its customers regarding its non-fungible token (NFT) initiatives. The company acknowledged encountering challenges with a payment service provider in January 2023, leading to a transition to a new provider, Fortress, in September. Nevertheless, regulatory constraints have resulted in the unavailability of custodial wallets for collectors in New York and Texas. Topps Partners With Fortress, Faces State Regulatory Hurdles in NFT Journey Topps has acknowledged that the past year presented numerous obstacles for the Web3 community, stating that its own NFT program was “not excluded” from these difficulties. Back in January 2023, Bitcoin.com News covered the story of Wyre altering its withdrawal procedure, a development that occurred several months before the payment company announced shutting down operations in June. As partners, Wyre’s complications had a direct impact on Topps, compelling the firm to temporarily ha...