Crypto offers Africans a ‘lifeline’ from inflation and corruption, say execs

While many investors in the West may look to crypto to speculate the next biggest trend, blockchain technology is actually solving “real-world problems” in Africa such as hyperinflation and “corruption,” executives told Cointelegraph. Speaking to Cointelegraph, Chris Maurice, founder and CEO of Yellow Card — Africa’s largest cryptocurrency exchange — said crypto in Africa “is growing at the speed of light” because it allows many Africans to escape from the traditional financial system’s failures and transact more freely. “Crypto solves real-world problems with banking and currencies on the continent, and…

U.S. House committee chairs, Blockchain Association turn up heat on SEC head Gensler

Three committee chairs in the United States House of Representatives have sent a letter to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler demanding a more satisfactory response to their Nov. 1 letter regarding the SEC chairman’s and the agency’s compliance with recordkeeping requirements.  Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, Oversight Committee Chair James Comer and Financial Services Committee Chair Patrick McHenry stated that the response they received from Gensler to their inquiry did not address direct requests made in their letter. Specifically, they asked for certification that the SEC…

Fidelity renews push for spot Wise Origin BTC Trust, making it 7th applicant this year

Asset manager Fidelity Investments has filed an application for a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF), according to a filing by Cboe BZX Exchange with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) dated June 19.  Fidelity’s application follows BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF application on June 15 and those of WisdomTree, Invesco and Valkyrie in the following days. According to Bloomberg, seven applications for a spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETF have been filed this year. Like WisdomTree and Invesco, Fidelity was making a second try at a spot BTC ETF. Similar to other spot…

“Sam Bankman-Fried really hurt the industry” — Anthony Scaramucci

During a panel at Collision 2023 in Toronto, Anthony Scaramucci, founder of Skybridge Capital and former White House communications director, stated that disgraced crypto executive Sam Bankman-Fried “really hurt the industry in the United States from a regulatory perspective.” Scaramucci continued: “He embarrassed the politicians; he gave a lot of money to them. They spent a lot of time with him, Gary Gensler spent a lot of time with him. And then they had this huge situation that happened. And that was very embarrassing. And so now the pendulum has swung…

Bitcoin BTC Price Hovers Over $30.3K Despite Renewed Inflation Worries

Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, was recently trading at $30,374, a 1% gain from Wednesday, same time. BTC has been on a roller coaster ride the past couple of days, albeit the kiddie version, rising above $31,000 briefly on Tuesday after a news story that Fidelity Investments would join BlackRock in the queue of financial services giants applying for spot bitcoin ETFs, but sinking below $30,000 on Wednesday as investors paused to consider the timing of an SEC approval and inflationary pressures. Source

CME Group set to introduce ETH to BTC Ratio futures

On June 29, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group announced its plans to introduce Ether/Bitcoin Ratio futures. The launch of these futures contracts is slated for July 31, subject to regulatory review. Efficiently capture the relative value of ether and bitcoin in a single trade with Ether/Bitcoin Ratio futures, launching July 31. https://t.co/WDFhIt5rJ7 — CME Group (@CMEGroup) June 29, 2023 According to the announcement, the settlement of Ether/Bitcoin Ratio futures will be in cash, based on the final settlement price of CME Group’s Ether (ETH) futures divided by the final settlement price of…

Fidelity submits renewed application for spot bitcoin ETF

Share Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on Telegram Copy Link Link copied Fidelity, the multi-trillion-dollar asset management firm, has once again filed paperwork for its Wise Origin Bitcoin Trust, a move that marks the company’s renewed pursuit of launching a spot bitcoin ETF. Fidelity Investments, the financial titan overseeing $11 trillion in assets under administration, has once again stepped into the arena of spot bitcoin ETF contenders. The move occurs in the wake of BlackRock’s iShares unit, an asset management company with nearly $9 trillion in assets under…

UK crypto bill reaches final stage, on track for passage

A bill bringing cryptocurrencies under the same rules applied to traditional assets is set to pass into law in the United Kingdom as it reaches the final stages for King Charles’ royal assent on June 29, the final step required for a parliamentary bill to become law. Approved by the upper chamber of the U.K. parliament on June 19, the Financial Services and Markets Bill has been discussed in the British Parliament since July 2022 and is expected to increase legal clarity and support the adoption of cryptocurrencies in the…