The leader of the Nigerian blockchain association, Senator Ihenyen, has implored the country’s lawmakers — currently pushing for the securities law to be revamped — to consider crafting laws that regulate the crypto industry. Proposed Law Does Not Expressly Mention Cryptocurrencies As Nigerian lawmakers debate a bill that proposes a ten-year jail term for operators […]

Despite the fact that the end of 2021 suggested that there could still be some concern in regard to the volatility of the market, there is no doubt that last year was huge for the cryptocurrency industry and one that was huge in general. Indeed, there were a number of different things to look out for including things such as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and decentralized finance (DeFi), Ethereum (ETH-USD) and smaller cryptocurrencies, however it is was also a year that had plenty of impact on Bitcoin. The cryptocurrency, which had experienced a number of fluctuations over the last 12 months, had managed to hit an all-time high of a price near $69,000 in November, however it had been reduced to around $47,000 recently, leaving its market capitalization to being its second lowest and around 40% according to TradingView data. Nonetheless, this has not stopped many bulls from predicting that Bitcoin will still be able to reach the $100,000 price that many have hoped it would, with many standing strong in their prediction and seemingly having as much confidence in it happening as before. Naturally, there are a number of different factors that many individuals and experts may look to point to when it comes down to trying to back their prediction, with the gambling industry perhaps one of the biggest. Crypto gambling is an activity that is enjoyed by many holders of virtual currency, with the use of a Bitcoin casino continuing to increase due to the benefits that gamblers are able to enjoy when playing their favorite games. Additionally, to further support the suggestion that Bitcoin has benefited from this particular industry and will likely continue to do so, a study by Thomas Conlon and Richard McGee in 2020 has already shown that the crypto token had enjoyed an increase in price once before because of the wagering industry. CryptosRus George Tung told Yahoo Finance that whilst in the “short-term, there may be some volatility,” he felt that in the “long-term, inflation is going to be a continuing issue, and bitcoin is seen as the best hedge against inflation at this point.” Blockstream’s chief strategy officer Samson Mow also appeared to double down on the prediction that Bitcoin will be a six-figure price by suggesting that it could happen inside the next six months. He stated: “We’ll see $100k within the first half of the year.” How did it also reveal that Bitcoin will still be a rather risk-sensitive asset over the short-term, with a number of different factors at play, but also stated: “on a long enough time horizon, [Bitcoin] does its own thing.” El Salvador President, Nayib Bukele, has recently echoed the opinion that Bitcoin will also be able to reach the $100,000 price in 2022, as he made a number of strong predictions whilst taking to Twitter and posting a tweet to all of his followers. One of the predictions that he made that could help the digital asset to become a six-figure coin was that he felt two more countries will adopt the token as legal tender in the next 12 months, thus joining the Latin American country in becoming amongst the first to accept it. Mow highlighted that “[Bitcoin] mining at the national utility level is the first step,” and a number of countries have seen the market resurface. Despite the fact that China banned cryptocurrency mining in June 2021, countries including Canada, Iran, Germany, Malaysia, Russia and the United States have all seen a resurgence in market interest, according to research compiled by the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index (CBECI). Some would suggest that Bukele’s and Mow’s thoughts are shared, though, due to the interest that they have together after a partnership was announced that would see them offer “volcano bonds”. Half of the billion-dollar sovereign debt would be going towards financing “Bitcoin City ” which would harvest nearby geothermal energy from a volcano to mine Bitcoin. Mow stated that a “zero tax on everything” development zone would help to transform El Salvador into the “Singapore of Latin America,” however it should be noted that the bond is not yet available, as Blockstream continues to work with a number of brokers. The other half of the 10-year bond offering will be converted into Bitcoin, with a coupon of 6.5% being carried over the next decade.

ARK Invest's research team thinks BTC could trade at $1.36 million by 2030, while ETH's market cap could reach $20 trillion.

On January 20, the Bank of Russia published a report proposing to ban the cryptocurrency industry in the country. After being heavily criticized, the institution defended its position in a statement.

Although US authorities continue to dabble with the idea of issuing their own central bank digital currency, the Bank of America believes such a product is “inevitable.” Additionally, researchers from large banking organizations see stablecoins continue to flourish and take a massive role in the monetary system. CBDCs are a growing trend among central banks, […]

FTM/USD is down 7.83% in the past 24 hours and 33% in the last…

The post Is $1.5 the next low for Fantom (FTM/USD)? appeared first on Coin Journal.

Binance, the world’s leading blockchain and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider, today announced that it has joined the National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA), a nonprofit corporation focused on identifying, validating, mitigating, and neutralizing cybercrime threats. Binance is the first organization from the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry to formally join the alliance. The NCFTA was established in…

The post Binance Becomes the Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Industry’s First to Join the National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA) appeared first on Bitcoin News Miner.

The Indonesian cryptocurrency industry and market experienced notable growth in 2021.

From Bolivia to China, governments sought to restrict crypto-related activity for various reasons and with different tools.

Newly-elected New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed his first paycheck will be converted to Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) on Friday via Coinbase cryptocurrency platform. The news comes after Adams vowed to take his first three paychecks in Bitcoin after engaging in a friendly twitter challenge with Miami Mayor Francis Suarez in November. Both Suarez and Adams are pushing to make their respective cities a centre for cryptocurrency hubs. In New York we always go big, so I’m going to take my first THREE paychecks in Bitcoin when I become mayor. NYC is going to be the center of the cryptocurrency industry and other fast-growing, innovative industries! Just wait! — Eric Adams (@ericadamsfornyc) November 4, 2021 The recently-elected NYC Mayor will be paid in US dollars, which will be then converted into cryptocurrencies before being deposited into his account. The extra step of converting comes as the U.S. Department of Labor prohibits employees from being paid directly in cryptocurrency, but can have their funds converted before being deposited in their accounts. It remains unclear as to how long Adams plans to hold the cryptocurrencies or how they will be taxed. “New York is the center of the world, and we want it to be the center of cryptocurrency and other financial innovations. Being on the forefront of such innovation will help us create jobs, improve our economy, and continue to be a magnet for talent from all over the globe,” said Adams in a statement earlier on Thursday. Adams has been vocal about wanting to transform New York into a global crypto hub. In fact, cryptocurrencies were a big part of his election campaign last year. He even made sure that New York had its own CityCoin, a token that allows people to invest in the city. At the time, he said, “We’re going to become the centre of life science, the centre of cybersecurity, the centre of self-driving cars, drones, the centre of Bitcoins.”

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Bitcoin, the top asset in the industry has noted a sharp fall in prices over the last 24 hours. At press time, the king-coin depreciated by almost over 9.7%. Bitcoin dropped its value by almost $7,000 and was exchanging hands at $38,233.95. This marked an almost six-month low for the coin. This price level is the lowest ever since the first week of August last year. Following Bitcoin’s price action, altcoins followed suit as a majority of them were seen trading in the red at the time of writing. The global cryptocurrency market cap was at $1.95 trillion after a considerable fall of about 7.7% over the past day. The global crypto cap hadn’t dipped below the $2.11 Trillion mark in over 3 months now. This major plunge in value across the broader cryptocurrency market had caused roughly $200 Billion to leave the market. Ethereum, which is the second-largest cryptocurrency in regards to market capitalisation also registered a tumble of about 8% in the last 24 hours. Related Reading |TA: Bitcoin Dives Below $40K, Why Bulls Could Struggle In Near Term What Could Have Potentially Caused This Big Dump The bears had taken over the market, however, it isn’t safe to assume that the market would continue with a bearish outlook just yet. This could also be a price correction from which Bitcoin and major altcoins might recover over the upcoming trading sessions. This retracement in Bitcoin’s prices from $43,000 could have happened for a number of reasons. Needless to say, crypto markets are volatile, however, current price movements of the major cryptocurrencies can be tied to a couple of recent developments in the crypto space. This sudden substantial sell-off in prices could have been caused due to stock market weakness after the US Federal Reserve introduced high-interest rates and tapered the stimulus. The Fed hiking the interest rates in the form of tightening the overall monetary policy has, in turn, affected the unregulated market of cryptocurrencies. The cryptocurrency industry has also suffered the pangs of other recent regulatory measures. The most recent one is Russia’s blanket ban which has rocked the global cryptocurrency market. Other regulatory measures which have been set in motion to curb the rapid growth of digital asset has also had negative effects on the prices. Securities and Exchange Commission has signaled at scrutinising cryptocurrency exchanges. Environmental factors have also raised eyebrows of regulatory bodies, European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) wishes for the EU to ban the proof-of-work model. All of the above-cited reasons have sent shock waves across the crypto industry causing the fear index to point at 19, a number that corresponds to “Extreme Fear” in the market. Related Reading | TA: Ethereum Nosedives, Indicators Show Signs of Larger Downtrend Bitcoin Price Analysis: Crucial Trading Levels to Watch Out For Bitcoin was priced at $38,233.95 after the coin nosedived close to 9% at press time. The asset flashed a death cross, which is considered to be extremely bearish in nature. The prices were beneath the 20-SMA line, indicating that sellers were responsible for driving the price momentum in the market. Source: BTCUSD on TradingView.com The Relative Strength Index hurtled as it reflected the excessive selling pressure in the market. Currently, Bitcoin’s RSI was hovering beneath the 25-mark which meant that the asset was oversold and undervalued. The support level for the coin stood at $37,982.40 and a push from the bears could make BTC trade at that aforementioned level. The Average Directional Index was near the 50-mark, implying a strengthening of the current price trend in the market. The resistance price level for the coin was $39,829.16. Featured image from The Motley Fool, chart from TradingView.com

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