New Ukrainian Law Says ‘Virtual Assets’ Can Be Used for Payments

The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s legislature, has approved amendments that introduce legal terms and definitions pertaining to the crypto space. The new legislation, which aims to transpose the FATF standards into national law, also identifies who is to take responsibility for the oversight of cryptocurrencies in the country. Also read: Crypto Startups to Get up to … Read more

EU Finance Ministers Place Defacto Ban on Libra

Libra’s ongoing organizational snags and run-ins with regulators continue into December, as EU finance ministers agreed Thursday that Libra cannot be launched in the EU until concerns are adequately addressed. The finance ministers issued a joint statement citing regulatory “challenges and risks.” Also Read: Libra Testnet Fails to Impress as New Legislation Looms Lawmakers Still … Read more

Maker’s Stability Fee Drops to 5.5% After Multi-Collateral Dai Announcement

According to the CEO of the Maker Foundation, Rune Christensen, Multi-Collateral Dai (MCD) will launch on November 18. On October 28, Maker’s stability fee was reduced by a ‘whale’ with roughly 94% of the voting power. Also Read: French Ministry of Education Publishes Bitcoin Resource Guide for Educators Maker’s Multi-Collateral Dai Will Launch November 18 … Read more

Trusted Friends Can Become Crypto Custodians With the Vault12 Platform

A firm called Vault12 launched its new passkey security solution for cryptocurrency assets. Vault12 is an application that allows people to enlist their trusted friends and family members to help safeguard their assets. According to the project’s creators, the new application leverages the cryptographic algorithm Shamir’s Secret Sharing which allows keys to be split in … Read more

Mining Giant Bitmain Confidentially Files for U.S.-Based IPO

According to reports, bitcoin mining manufacturer Bitmain Technologies confidentially filed for a U.S.-based initial public offering (IPO) with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The news follows the alleged removal of cofounder and executive director Micree Zhan and the recent announcement of a facility in Texas with the capacity to house 300MW of hashpower. Also read: … Read more

After Breaking New Records Bakkt Announces Crypto Consumer App

Following the all-time record of 1,179 contracts on October 25, Mike Blandina, Bakkt’s chief product officer, revealed the firm is launching another strategy after announcing its December options launch. Bakkt is releasing a consumer application so retail investors can “unlock the value of digital assets” via consumer payments. Also read: Cred to Demo Global Merchant … Read more

Bakkt Announces Bitcoin Options After Record-Breaking Futures Volumes

On October 23, Bakkt’s physically-settled bitcoin futures contracts touched an all-time high with 640 BTC ($4.8 million) swapped on the exchange. Coincidentally, the futures action started after BTC prices plummeted to $7,365 across global exchanges. After the record-setting day, Bakkt CEO Kelly Loeffler revealed the trading platform will offer options on bitcoin futures this December. … Read more

Germany’s Financial Crisis Invokes 5-Year Rent Freeze

All eyes are on the German economy which was once perceived as stable and strong. However, the financial state of affairs has been tumultuous and Berlin’s state cabinet recently agreed to a five-year rent freeze to help curb the rising housing costs in the country. Moreover, Bundesbank just published a monthly report that explains how … Read more

Circle Drops Poloniex Leaving US Crypto Traders High and Dry

According to a blog post published by Circle, the cryptocurrency firm is releasing its subsidiary exchange Poloniex which is now owned by an “Asian investment group.” The trading platform will become an independent company called Polo Digital Assets, Ltd., and after November 1, 2019, U.S. residents will no longer be able to use the platform. … Read more

80% of Crypto Trade Volume Tracked by Blockchain Surveillance

Ever since governments worldwide started showing adversity toward cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, a few startups have dedicated their business model to blockchain surveillance. Two weeks ago, Chainalysis revealed the company is monitoring 21 different tokens that stem from Ethereum. On Tuesday, the firm Ciphertrace announced that it’s now tracking 700 cryptocurrencies providing “visibility into 87% of … Read more