Crypto users split on taking out loans to buy Bitcoin dips

Taking on debt is a complex personal decision that should not be entered into without great care and financial consideration. With Bitcoin’s (BTC) recent return to all-time price highs, some moonstruck Bitcoiners have begun taking out bank loans to increase their position on the asset. While this may seem like a short road to riches for some, others view such financial moves as foolish, given the inherent volatility in the space. In a Friday tweet from Peter McCormack, the What Bitcoin Did podcaster said he had purchased 2.55 Bitcoin using…

JPMorgan Discusses $600B in Potential New Bitcoin Demand

MassMutual’s $100M BTC investment has the potential to open a massive new investment category, according to analysts. Last week, when MassMutual announced its $100 million buy, NLW explored whether it would be the beginning of a trend for other insurance companies. A recent note from JPMorgan analysts suggests that even a 1% allocation by that category of company in major markets in the U.S., Europe and Japan could represent $600 billion of new demand.  NLW also discusses recent comments from long-term institutional bitcoin and crypto bulls including Chamath Palihapitiya and…

Bitcoin Whales Resurface To Sell Down Weekend Retest of Highs

Bitcoin is back above $19,000 after repeated tests of below $18,000. Dip buyers have proven too strong to send prices tumbling, but at the same time, whales keep resurfacing, again and again, to sell down any intraday rallies as soon as they begin to hover above $19,250 for an expended period of time. This weekend’s retest of highs ahead of the critical weekly close resulted in yet another whale sighting, as shown through the BTC supply flowing into top cryptocurrency exchanges. Will whales finally succeed and send the recent rally…

Square Crypto Funds Development of Bitcoin UX Research

Square Crypto is bankrolling its 8th designer grant to focus on Bitcoin’s user experience. This marks the Square offshoot’s 20th grant in support of Bitcoin development since it launched in the summer of 2019. Portuguese software designer Patricia Estevão is Square Crypto’s most recent grant recipient. Per her grant proposal, the UX Designer will use the funding to research Bitcoin user experience, specifically why people use Bitcoin and what hurdles may obstruct their use.  Estevão has been working on Bitcoin-related design since 2016. One of her more recent and impactful…

US FTC digs into Big Tech’s centralized reservoirs of user data

The United States Federal Trade Commission is making the giants of social media account for their user data practices. On December 11, the FTC published orders for special reports from unnamed social media companies. The commission’s stated aim for the reports is: “To compile data concerning the privacy policies, procedures, and practices of Social Media and Video Streaming Service providers, including the method and manner in which they collect, use, store, and disclose information about users and their devices.” The initial orders, however, did not include the names of the…

4 key Bitcoin price metrics explain why investors are buying each BTC dip

As Bitcoin (BTC) tested a $17,580 low on Dec. 11, investors remained relatively calm despite some analysts issuing bearish estimates. The week may have finished at the same level where it started, but the fundamentals for Bitcoin have become even healthier. BTC/USD 4-hour chart. Source: TradingView Whenever the Bitcoin price drops considerably, there is usually some blatantly bearish analysis popping up and while this may sway the investment decisions of retail investors, professional traders know better. They avoid the FUD and the excessive pessimism that is the result of negative…

Bloccelerate VC Raises $12M Fund to Bet on Enterprise Blockchain Adoption

Seattle-based venture capital firm Bloccelerate closed a $12 million fund on Nov. 30 to bet on both enterprise blockchain adoption and Ethereum-based financial applications. The firm’s general partners, Kate Mitselmakher and Sam Yilmaz, told CoinDesk in a call that the fund will allocate 80% of its equity investing in the infrastructures enabling enterprise adoption, with examples like trading platforms, custody solutions, wallets and insurance providers. The other 20% will be invested in tokens of protocols. “The last 10 years of blockchain were primarily about the adoption of cryptocurrencies in the…