The U.S. has sold about 500 bitcoins seized back in 2018 for about $19.2 million. This was reportedly the largest net forfeiture in the Northern District of Ohio’s history. Federal authorities in the U.S. state of Ohio have sold bitcoins seized back in 2018 in a fraud case. The seized bitcoins were sold for nearly…
US SEC Commissioner Says Bitcoin ETF Approval Long Overdue
SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce says that the regulator should have approved a bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the U.S. a long time ago. She emphasized that it is not the SEC’s job to approve or reject applications based on the merits of the underlying investment itself. “People should make their own decisions” whether to buy…
Angola Hikes Benchmark Interest Rate as Central Bank Attempts to Tame Rising Inflation
The Angolan central bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) recently hiked the country’s benchmark interest rate from 15.5% to a record of 20%. The largely unexpected hike, which is one of the National Bank of Angola (NBA)’s attempts to curb inflation, marks the first time the benchmark rate has been increased since November 2017. Rising Inflation…
Bitcoin Mining Report Claims Miner Energy Consumption Mix 56% Sustainable in Q2
During the last three months, there’s been a significant focus on the effects bitcoin mining has on the global environment. While many have claimed bitcoin mining is bad for the environment and many others have stressed that it affects the environment in a positive way, either way, most are relying on unreliable and old data…
Bitcoin Mining Profitability to Rise 35% While Ousted Chinese Miners Face Delays Relocating
Analysts are predicting a rise in Bitcoin mining profitability of about 35% during the short term. This would be the effect of the bitcoin mining crackdown in China. Since the crackdown happened, a significant portion of hashrate stemming from the Bitcoin network disappeared. Ousted miners are struggling to relocate, and some might not even make…
FinCEN Names Misuse of Cryptocurrencies a National Priority
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has named “cybercrime, including relevant cybersecurity and virtual currency considerations” a national priority. In particular, the Treasury is concerned about the “misuse of virtual assets that exploits and undermines their innovative potential, including through laundering of illicit proceeds.” FinCEN, a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, published…