PANDEMIC
Japanese Crypto Trading Activity Fell as COVID-19 Pandemic Hit in March
The Japan Virtual and Crypto assets Exchange Association has reported that during the COVID-19 pandemic there has been a decline in active crypto-trading in Japan.
Russian Citizens Are Using P2P Bitcoin Markets to Escape Monolithic Banking System
Crypto usage is growing in Russia, despite attempts by the government to make investment more difficult.
EU’s Latest Coronavirus Recovery Deal: What’s Wrong with Fiat and What’s Right with Crypto
The recovery fund spearheaded by the EU is made up of €390 billion in grants and €360 billion in loans, which will be added to a new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), with the sum of €1.074 trillion as a seven-year budget. The heads of state and government have reached a unanimous agreement, resulting in a total financial package of €1.82 trillion.
Bitcoin Economy Gives El Salvador Village Hope Amidst COVID-19
Despite being heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, a small beach town in El Salvador, dubbed El Zonte, have strived to keep their economy afloat with the integration of Bitcoin as a digital currency.
Crypto Trading in India Soared by 400% During COVID-19 Lockdown
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, India’s cryptocurrency trading industry has seen an increase of 400 percent over the last few months.
Bitcoin Price Drops Below $9K as Stock Markets Erase Gains Amid Incoming Second Wave of COVID-19 Cases
Bitcoin price is currently hitting its lowest levels in around 3 weeks, as stocks are rumored to anticipate an incoming crash. Bitcoin (BTC) dipped below the $9,000 on June 15 and continued to hover above $9,000 shortly after.
Japanese E-book Publisher Turns to Blockchain for Distributiion in the Pandemic Era
A Japanese book distributor is mulling an investment in a blockchain-based platform to distribute e-books, as partial lockdowns due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continue in Japan.
Brazil Highlights Blockchain Technology as a Digital Strategy Goal
Last week, Brazil unveiled its Digital Government Strategy that highlighted the use of distributed ledger systems and blockchain technology to transform major parts of the economy, especially in a post-COVID-19 environment.
Crypto & the FATF Travel Rule: FinCEN Suggests Challenges in Governance, Not Technology
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Travel Rule has been in the center of attention lately, which concerns crypto transactions above a certain amount must be accompanied by identifying information.The rule is an update to the existing FATF Recommendation 16, regarding cross-border and domestic wire transfers, and is intended to address the anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CFT) challenges as crypto adoption increases. The FATF Travel Rule could mean implications for virtual asset service providers (VASPs), including cryptocurrency exchanges, wallet providers, and custodians.
Billionaires and Bitcoin: Stan Druckenmiller’s Alarming Warning on Stocks While Paul Tudor Jones Remains Bullish on Bitcoin
Billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller said during a webcast held by The Economic Club of New York that the risk-reward calculation for equities is the worst he has ever seen in his career. The billionaire expressed his doubts about the US equities’ possibility of logging a V-shaped recovery. He added that government stimulus programs will not be enough for the economic recovery post-pandemic. Druckenmiller believes that cash liquidity required to pump assets that are considered risky will shrink shortly as the US Treasury will soon end the private economy which could overwhelm the Fed purchases through borrowing consistently.
Infinito And Paxful Partner to Accelerate Cryptocurrency Adoption Across the World
Infinito has partnered with Paxful to support cryptocurrency adoption globally.
IBM, KPMG, Walmart, Merck Reveal Results of FDA Blockchain Drug Tracing Pilot
IBM, KPMG, Walmart, and Merck’s blockchain pilot in drug-tracing has successfully exceeded the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) benchmarks. The pilot program aimed to encourage new technologies to be used in the pharmaceutical supply chain. Blockchain was used as a shared record movement of pharmaceutical drugs through the supply chain, which resulted in improved efficiency. Recalls were proven to be done in just seconds, rather than in days, as blockchain offers traceability.
US Congress Considers Using Blockchain for Remote Voting While the White House Urged to Stay Competitive with China
The US Congress is considering using blockchain technology to enable the Senate to conduct remote voting during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The report highlighted that the crisis emphasized the need to consider certain functions to proceed remotely when it may not be safe for members to gather in person. The report explored a combination of different technologies to be used, including blockchain and encrypted E2EE.
When the COVID Pandemic Subsides, Will Bitcoin Still be Here?
The Covid-19 pandemic is causing havoc everywhere in the world. This is definitely true in the Bitcoin markets. Up until now, it was assumed that Bitcoin was a safe haven asset that would thrive in a global economic crisis.
First Chinese State-Backed Blockchain Firm "Tainted" the Nation's Image Due to the Export of Faulty COVID-19 Medical Supplies
Tus Data Asset, a blockchain firm based in Beijing, has been banned by the Chinese government from exporting medical supplies to other countries during the coronavirus pandemic.