BITCOIN
Bitcoin (BTC) is the world’s first open-source, peer-to-peer cryptocurrency developed by a pseudonymous person or group of people under the name of Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008. The identity of Satoshi Nakamoto remains a mystery. The crypto is run on distributed ledger technology, also known as blockchain. Bitcoin allows for lower transaction fees than traditional online payment systems, and is decentralized, unlike government-backed currencies. Bitcoin is the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization and has a limit of 21 million coins. The cryptocurrency uses a proof-of-work protocol to enable security, privacy, and legitimacy of monetary transactions. The issuance of Bitcoin requires mining, where programmers solve a difficult cryptographic puzzle to be able to mine Bitcoin, which earns them a reward. Bitcoin remains the most popular cryptocurrencies, all other cryptocurrencies are known as altcoins.
UK Legislators Advocate for Treating Crypto Trading Similar to Gambling Regulations
The report also calls for a shift in the regulatory approach towards unbacked cryptoassets, such as Bitcoin and Ether. Due to their volatility and lack of intrinsic value, the committee argues that these assets pose substantial risks to consumers, likening speculation in these assets to gambling.
Grayscale Launches New Entity to Manage Growing Funds
Cryptocurrency asset manager Grayscale Investments has launched a new entity, the Grayscale Funds Trust, to manage its publicly traded financial products in-house. The company has also filed a registration statement for three new cryptocurrency-focused ETFs, including a Bitcoin Composite ETF, Ethereum Futures ETF, and a Privacy ETF.
Grayscale Files for Three New Crypto ETFs
Grayscale Investments has filed a registration statement with the SEC for three new cryptocurrency-focused ETFs, including a Bitcoin Composite ETF, Ethereum Futures ETF, and a Privacy ETF. Grayscale also announced the launch of its Grayscale Funds Trust to manage its publicly traded financial products in-house.
Crypto Conferences Scale Back
Crypto conferences have toned down the extravagance in response to the extended crypto winter, with attendees focusing on discussing regulation and tax. The XRP Las Vegas conference for XRP enthusiasts and the “XRP Army” highlighted frustration over regulatory clarity in the United States. Meanwhile, regulation was the primary topic at a recent Binance Australia meetup event, where attendees asked intelligent questions despite the ongoing bear market. Interest in crypto remains strong, even as conferences scale back.
Bitcoin Ordinals Inscriptions Double
The number of Ordinals inscriptions on the Bitcoin network has almost doubled in the last eight days, largely due to the popularity of text-based inscriptions as the BRC-20 token standard. BRC-20 tokens currently have a total market cap of around $700 million, with experts predicting the market for "Bitcoin NFTs" may reach $4.5 billion by 2025.
Binance Adds Bitcoin Ordinals to NFT Marketplace
Binance has announced that it will soon support Bitcoin ordinals, also known as Bitcoin NFTs, on its NFT marketplace. This will expand Binance’s multichain NFT ecosystem to include the Bitcoin network. Bitcoin ordinals have been on the rise, with over 3 million inscriptions as of May 1, but they remain a controversial topic in the crypto community.
Coinbase executive discovers ChatGPT jailbreak
Coinbase executive Conor Grogan claims to have found a “jailbreak” for AI tool ChatGPT, allowing it to calculate the probability of strange crypto price scenarios. ChatGPT gave a 15% chance that Bitcoin will fall to irrelevancy by 2035, and a 20% chance of the same for Ether.
Gemini Launches Offshore Derivatives Platform
Gemini is launching an offshore derivatives platform, Gemini Foundation, which will offer services to customers in over 30 countries. The platform’s first derivatives contract will be a Bitcoin perpetual contract denominated in Gemini Dollar. The move comes as the regulatory environment for crypto firms in the United States becomes more uncertain.
Intel to Discontinue Blockscale Bitcoin Mining Chips
Intel plans to cut costs by discontinuing its Blockscale Bitcoin mining chips, with the company stopping orders for the ASICs by Oct. 20 and ending shipping roughly in April 2024. Intel launched the Blockscale mining chips in April 2022 with a hash rate of up to 580 gigahash per second. The move is part of Intel's strategy to prioritize certain chips for outside customers while monitoring market opportunities in the crypto space.
Cryptocurrency Soars in Q1 2023
CoinGecko's Q1 2023 Crypto Industry Report shows Bitcoin as the best-performing asset, with a gain of 72.4%. DeFi and NFTs have also surged, while stablecoins saw a drop in market cap due to Binance USD shutdown and USDC depeg. The overall market capitalization reached $1.2 trillion at the end of Q1.
Unchained Capital Raises $60M in Bitcoin Funding
Financial services provider Unchained Capital has raised $60 million in a Series B funding round led by Valor Equity Partners. The company uses multi-signature technology to provide a more secure way to hold Bitcoin, allowing clients to share control of their funds between private keys they hold themselves and those held by Unchained or other financial services companies. The funding will be used to expand Unchained's reach and suite of services.
Twitter Rolls Out Bitcoin Price Quotes
Twitter has added Bitcoin price quotes to its social media platform, powered by TradingView. A link to Israeli cryptocurrency exchange eToro is also included, where users can buy or sell Bitcoin.
Man Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Bitcoin from Silk Road
James Zhong, who stole more than 51,680 Bitcoin from Silk Road in 2012, has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison for wire fraud charges. The Bitcoin was worth roughly $3.4 billion at the time of its seizure in November 2021.
Argentina Approves First Regulated Bitcoin Futures Index
The securities regulator of Argentina has approved the first regulated Bitcoin futures index on the Matba Rofex exchange, with the futures contract based on the price of BTC provided by various entities in the country. This provides a safe and regulated way for qualified investors to gain exposure to Bitcoin in a transparent environment. The launch of the Bitcoin futures contract comes as Argentina struggles with high inflation and citizens turn to Bitcoin as a way to mitigate its effects.
Ethereum Upgrade Raises Concerns as Bitcoin Dominance Continues
Ethereum's Shanghai upgrade has led to concerns among investors, particularly regarding a potential sell-off of tokens unlocked after the upgrade, causing uncertainty in the market. Meanwhile, Bitcoin's dominance rate continues to rise and is currently at the highest level since July 2021.