Bitcoin Pushes Near $19K For First Time Since FTX Collapse

Speaking with CoinDesk, Swan Bitcoin Managing Director Steven Lubka said he expects inflation numbers to continue to soften in the first half of 2023, which should give the Fed room to somewhat soften its stance. Lubka, however, is concerned that CPI prints in the second half of the year may not be so benign, and the central bank could find itself in a difficult spot with a softening or even recessionary economy alongside rising inflation. Original

Blockchain industry shows signs of stabilizing in 2023: Report

2022 was a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs for the blockchain industry. While the year’s first quarter looked promising, the crypto industry has been on a downward trajectory ever since. While indications of a global macroeconomic slowdown increase, these headwinds hamper the blockchain industry’s potential recovery. There are some signs of stabilization in the crypto market and a potential upside at the start of the new year. For those serious about understanding the crypto space’s different sectors, including venture capital, derivatives, decentralized finance (DeFi), regulations and much more, Cointelegraph…

Miss Universe contestant represents El Salvador with Bitcoin-inspired costume

Actress and model Alejandra Guajardo represented El Salvador in the preliminary competition of the Miss Universe 2022 pageant by wearing a costume featuring Bitcoin during her walk across the stage. In a Jan. 12 post on her Instagram account tagging El Salvador president Nayib Bukele, Guajardo showed herself walking gracefully with a giant colón — one of the country’s accepted currencies until 2001 — strapped to her back adorned with cocoa beans. In her right hand, the pageant contestant carried a staff topped with a large physical Bitcoin (BTC). “This…

Remembering Hal Finney on the 14th Anniversary of the First Bitcoin Transaction

It’s been 14 years since the first bitcoin transaction was sent. On Jan. 11, 2009, Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of the Bitcoin system, sent Hal Finney, a well-regarded cryptographer and computer scientist, 10 bitcoin (BTC). This test transaction, sent before BTC had a quotable price, was a harbinger of the many peer-to-peer transfers to come enabled by the world’s first cryptocurrency network. Original

Congress may be ‘ungovernable,’ but US could see crypto legislation in 2023

The United States House of Representatives finally elected a speaker last week, concluding a four-day, 15-ballot ordeal that left many wondering if political gridlock was now the new normal in the U.S., and if so, what the consequences would be.  For example, were the concessions made by Republican Kevin McCarthy to secure his election as speaker ultimately going to make it difficult to achieve any sort of legislative consensus, making it impossible for the U.S. to raise its debt ceiling and fund the government later this year? Not all were…

Bitcoin Network Braces for Notable Difficulty Increase in 3 Days – Bitcoin News

Bitcoin’s mining difficulty, the measure of how difficult it is to find a new block and add it to the blockchain, is set to increase significantly on Jan. 15, 2023, according to current estimates. At the time of writing, Bitcoin’s mining difficulty appears to be on track for a 10% increase, rising from 34.09 trillion to an all-time high of 37.57 trillion. Upcoming Difficulty Retarget to Boost Hashrate Requirements The leading cryptocurrency network, Bitcoin (BTC), is set to experience a record-setting difficulty increase in three days, on or around Jan.…

Mining Bitcoin at home — Is it time to start? Market Talks

On this week’s episode of Market Talks, Cointelegraph welcomes Justin Kramer, CEO of Badgerland Home Crypto Mining — a home-based crypto mining equipment business. This week, to kick things off, we get to know a little bit about Kramer and his mining business. What are his expertise and experience with crypto mining, and how did he gravitate toward it? We also get his take on the current market conditions and the price of Bitcoin (BTC). Doing anything from your house, whether it’s working from home or mining cryptocurrencies, comes with…

Crypto Market Maker CyberX Gets $15M From Foresight Ventures

“Blockchain technology has transformed the way value is exchanged in [traditional finance]. As a crypto market maker, we aim to connect assets efficiently and transparently with our proprietary technology to provide liquidity across trading venues, DeFi protocols, and [non-fungible token] marketplaces,” said CyberX CEO Hao Wang in a statement. Source