Month: June 2021

US Congressman Calls for Law Allowing Government to Reverse Cryptocurrency Transactions

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A U.S. congressman has called for a law that allows the government to identify cryptocurrency users and reverse crypto transactions. “There’s a significant sentiment, increasing sentiment, in Congress that if you’re participating in an anonymous crypto transaction that you’re a de-facto participant in a criminal conspiracy,” he said. Rep. Bill Foster Stresses the Need for Law to Allow the Government to Reverse Crypto Transactions Democratic Rep. Bill Foster of Illinois, who is also co-chair of the Congressional Blockchain Caucus, talked about cryptocurrency regulation during an Axios virtual event Tuesday. Addressing…

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‘Not a healthy environment’: Kamala Harris’ office rife with dissent

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When Vice President Kamala Harris finally made the decision to visit the Mexico border last week, people inside her own office were blindsided by the news. For days, aides and outside allies had been calling and texting with each other about the political fallout that a potential trip would entail. But when it became known that she was going to El Paso, it left many scrambling, including officials who were responsible for making travel arrangements and others outside the VP’s office charged with crafting the messaging across the administration. The…

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Republicans go all-in on immigration as a political weapon

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Kristi Noem is sending the South Dakota National Guard to the U.S.-Mexico border. Florida’s Ron DeSantis is providing law enforcement officers. Greg Abbott is vowing that Texas will build its own wall. With Donald Trump and a dozen House Republicans joining Abbott on the border on Wednesday, the GOP is loudly signaling its conviction that immigration will be a potent political weapon ahead of the midterm elections and presidential primary in 2024. “As an issue, I can’t think of one that’s better,” said Jeff Roe, a Republican strategist and top…

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House Republicans use Trump visit to hammer Dems on the border

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McALLEN, Texas — House Republicans have traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border numerous times. Not until Donald Trump agreed to join them did they get the focus they wanted for their push to undercut President Joe Biden’s immigration agenda. Visiting the border with the former president is part of Republicans’ long-running effort to spotlight a spike in migration that they’re betting they can use to help win back the House next year. But the trek with Trump also underscores how closely the party is hugging him, embracing his policies and his…

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Coinbase to Launch Apple-Like Crypto App Store

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Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has unveiled its plan to build “the crypto app store,” inspired by how Apple Inc. built its app store. CEO Brian Armstrong said: “Apple didn’t attempt to build every app for the iPhone, it empowered developers and gave mobile users an easy way to access new innovative apps.” In a blog post published on Tuesday, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong detailed several opportunities in the crypto space the Nasdaq-listed company is pursuing. One of them was to “Build the crypto app store.” The CEO detailed, “Like the internet,…

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Triall: Bridging the Gap Between Medical Research and Blockchain Technology

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The COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged the global economy, leaving many industries re-evaluating the robustness of legacy models in times of crisis. Unsurprisingly, one of the most impacted industries has been the global healthcare industry, as governments raced to test for, treat and develop a vaccine for the fast-spreading virus. Whilst, on the whole, the testing regimes, treatments and vaccination programs have been somewhat successful in developed countries (especially the United Kingdom and Israel), existing pain points in pharmaceutical research and development have exacerbated delays according to a number of experts.…

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Formula 1 Secures Multimillion Crypto Sponsorship Deal

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Formula 1, the international auto racing organization, has found a new sponsor from the crypto industry. The long-term deal will provide a digital asset trading platform with brand presence at F1 events while the car championship hopes that the partnership will allow it to “explore the world of cryptocurrency.” Crypto.com to Support Formula 1 as Part of Reported $100 Million Sponsorship Agreement The deal between Formula 1 and Crypto.com, which was announced on Tuesday, has been negotiated with the help of sports firm Creative Artists Agency. The terms were not…

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‘We can’t escape the politics’: Biden and DeSantis’ fragile détente tested

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MIAMI — A disaster had just struck. Dead bodies were being recovered and people were homeless. But political opportunists didn’t care about that. They were angry that a Republican governor was putting politics aside and working with a Democratic president. The year was 2012. Hurricane Sandy had just devastated New Jersey. And the top adviser for then-Gov. Chris Christie was shocked by the calls from donors infuriated that his decision to work with Barack Obama was handing him a win just a week before the president’s reelection. “It was so…

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The most influential think tank of the Biden era has a new leader

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Patrick Gaspard, a longtime Democratic operative who served most recently as president of the George Soros-run Open Society Foundations, will take over as president and CEO of the Center for American Progress. His hiring ends a monthslong process to find a replacement for Neera Tanden, who left the post to become a senior adviser to President Joe Biden. And it immediately makes the 53-year-old Haitian-American one of the most powerful players in progressive politics outside of elected office. Gaspard’s resume may be unique in the sheer number of lanes he’s…

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How much is a Cabinet post worth?

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The bribery trial of a Chicago banker who helped arrange millions in loans for former Trump aide Paul Manafort has surfaced a curious question about the most coveted gig in Washington: How much is a Cabinet post worth? While some prospective presidential advisers might have considered the question in such crude terms, it seems unlikely that taxpayer dollars were expended to address it — until now. As the trial of Federal Savings Bank founder Stephen Calk plays out in a Manhattan courtroom, one of the issues in contention is whether…

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Blockware Mining Raises $25M — Firm Looks to Make ‘Hashrate in the US More Globally Competitive’

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On Wednesday, the North American bitcoin mining operation Blockware Mining announced the firm closed a $25 million investment round. According to the company, Blockware Mining aims to leverage the financing to expand operations “beyond its currently installed North American footprint.” Blockware Raises $25 Million, Purchases 14,000 ASIC Miners Blockware Mining, a bitcoin mining infrastructure and colocation service operation revealed the company has raised $25 million on June 30. The U.S.-based firm claims to “generate bitcoin below market prices” by utilizing three different revenue streams. Blockware specializes in mining bitcoin, the…

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There Are Now Twice as Many 2021 ‘Bitcoin Deaths’ Compared to 2020’s BTC Obituaries List

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Bitcoin is down in value 45% since the crypto asset’s all-time high (ATH) three months ago and the downward movement has ignited significant speculation about another bear market. Other skeptics believe that bitcoin has died, as the web page that hosts bitcoin obituaries indicates 2021 bitcoin deaths have doubled in comparison to all the bitcoin obituaries in 2020. According to Skeptics Bitcoin Has Died 29 Times This Year The price of bitcoin (BTC) is lower than it was three months ago when the crypto asset touched an ATH of $64,895…

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Payments Giant NCR Bringing Bitcoin Trading to 650 U.S. Banks and Their 24 Million Customers

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Payments giant NCR and New York Digital Investment Group (NYDIG) are collaborating to allow 650 U.S.banks to offer bitcoin trading to their 24 million customers through their mobile applications. 24 Million Customers of 650 Main Street Banks May Soon Have Access to Bitcoin Trading New York Digital Investment Group (NYDIG) said Wednesday that 650 banks and credit unions in the U.S. will soon be able to offer bitcoin trading to their customers through their mobile applications. The bitcoin option is made possible through a collaboration between NYDIG and enterprise payments…

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Trump audit excitement meets with fear from election officials

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A monthslong examination of all the ballots from the 2020 election in Arizona’s most populous county may be winding down soon. But now the state is spreading the “audit” playbook across the country. Supporters of former President Donald Trump — fueled by Trump’s false claim that he did not lose the 2020 election — are behind a new push to review the results in states including Michigan, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The new drive is worrying state election administrators, who say the efforts will further inflame conspiracy theories and erode…

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‘Doctor Bitcoin’ Pleads Guilty to Running Illegal Crypto Exchange in US, Faces 5 Years in Prison

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A Texas man, who calls himself “Doctor Bitcoin,” has pleaded guilty to running an illegal cryptocurrency exchange business, converting cash to bitcoin. He faces five years in federal prison. Crypto Exchange Operator Pleads Guilty The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Tuesday that a Texas resident, Mark Alexander Hopkins, has pleaded guilty to “illegally operating a cash-to-cryptocurrency conversion business.” The 42-year-old man, who calls himself “Doctor Bitcoin,” pleaded guilty to one count of operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business. Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah detailed: This defendant ignored federal…

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Beyond Oil™ Launches Smart Contract Driven Eco-Friendly Oil Production

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PRESS RELEASE. Beyond Oil™ has officially launched the Solar Oil Project – the blockchain powered decentralized oil production platform that recycles abandoned oil wells to produce oil while eliminating a trillion dollar ecological nightmare. What the Solar Oil Project does differently: Partners with local oil Operators and green equipment manufacturers. Together, they identify old oil wells that typically produce less than 5 barrels of oil per-day. These wells often become serious ecological hazards when abandoned and leak toxins into the soil and water table. Current clean-up costs are estimated to…

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British Bank Natwest Imposes Daily Limit on Transfers to Cryptocurrency Exchanges Over Fraud Concerns

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A major British bank, Natwest, has put a limit on fund transfers to cryptocurrency exchanges over concerns of fraud and scams related to cryptocurrencies. The bank is also blocking payments to a number of cryptocurrency asset firms. Natwest says the two moves are necessary to protect customers. Natwest Places Limit on Transfers to Crypto Exchanges National Westminster Bank, commonly known as Natwest, is a major retail and commercial bank in the United Kingdom. A spokesperson for the bank told Reuters Tuesday that the bank has capped the daily amount customers…

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Decentralized Exchange Volumes Double Overnight — A Look at the Top 3 Dex Platforms in 2021

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As crypto markets saw some recovery on Tuesday, decentralized finance tokens and applications have once again started swelling in value. Decentralized exchange (dex) trade volumes have increased a great deal, as daily swap volumes stemming from Ethereum-based dex applications have doubled since Monday. Pancakes, Sushi, and Unicorns Decentralized finance continues to astonish, as billions of dollars have entered this new economy during the last two years. Years ago, there were a few decentralized exchange (dex) platforms but none of them compared to the liquidity that’s provided on dex platforms today.…

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Murkowski has the moxie to take on Trump. Will she?

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Lisa Murkowski has an ice-cold review of the Donald Trump-backed conservative who’s vowing to topple her in Alaska’s Senate race next year. “It doesn’t surprise me. The president has said, you know, that he’s gonna endorse anybody that has a pulse,” the Alaska Republican said of GOP challenger, Kelly Tshibaka. “This, apparently, is somebody with a pulse.” That blunt assessment of Tshibaka reflects Murkowski’s combination of confidence and wariness ahead of what’s shaping up as an unpleasant midterm campaign for her. She’s the only GOP incumbent senator to earn Trump’s…

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Dems fret that GOP could tap pro-Trump chaos agents for Jan. 6 probe

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Democrats wanted a panel of outside experts to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection. Instead they might have to deal with the Trump wing of the House GOP. The House is set to vote Wednesday to create a new committee with a weighty mandate to dig into the worst attack on the Capitol since the War of 1812. But as Democrats prepare that panel, both parties are still unsure about which Republicans, if any, will serve on its 13-member roster — a decision that will dramatically shape the direction of the…

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Trump-backers want to export the Arizona ‘audit’ across the country

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A months-long examination of all the ballots from the 2020 election in Arizona’s most populous county may be winding down soon. But now the state is spreading the “audit” playbook across the country. Supporters of former President Donald Trump — fueled by Trump’s false claim that he did not lose the 2020 election — are behind a new push to review the results in states including Michigan, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The new drive is worrying state election administrators, who say the efforts will further inflame conspiracy theories and erode…

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America’s pandemic stockpile struggles to ramp up

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Supplies of critical medical products in the Strategic National Stockpile are still well below federal targets more than 18 months after the coronavirus first emerged in the United States, according to internal data obtained by POLITICO. The federal government has built up the stockpile significantly over the last year. There are more than 35 times more N95 respirators and 10 times more ventilators available now than at the start of the pandemic. But the nation is still short hundreds of millions — or more — surgical masks, gloves and gowns.…

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Virtual care becomes a common cause in a divided Congress

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Congress appears poised to let millions of Medicare recipients continue to video chat with their doctors after the pandemic is over. A set of telemedicine policies the Trump administration adopted during lockdowns is emerging as an unexpected bipartisan rallying point as lawmakers begin to weigh life after Covid-19. The coverage policies are due to lapse once the health emergency ends, which could limit telehealth payments to rural providers and doctors with existing relationships with patients. Lawmakers are lining up to decide what Medicare will pay for after the pandemic is…

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Compound Launches Treasury to Introduce Institutions to Defi

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Compound, one of the leading defi-based protocols, is launching a new service called Treasury. Compound’s Treasury is a new product designed to help institutions enter the defi space. Launched in partnership with Circle and Fireblocks, it skips the uber astounding rates conventional defi protocols offer. However, it seeks to offer stable revenue for companies looking to get passive income from their funds in dollars. Compound to Coax Institutions With Treasury Compound Labs, the company behind the Compound defi protocol, launched Treasury, a new defi service designed for institutions. This new…

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Hydropower Stations Up for Sale Amid China’s Crackdown on Crypto Mining

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Small hydropower plants have been put up for sale in China as demand for their cheap energy decreases following the government’s crackdown on crypto miners. Just as with mining rigs, their prices have been going down, leaving owners with limited options to recoup their investments. Ads for Hydropower Plants Appear on Xianyu Marketplace Advertisements for small-scale hydroelectric power plants have been placed recently on the online marketplace Xianyu, the South China Morning Post reported. The ‘second-hand’ installations come with a capacity of around 50 megawatts. The number of these offerings…

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Coinbase Launches High Yield USDC Accounts With 4% APY

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Coinbase, the largest exchange in terms of crypto reserves held, has announced the introduction of a savings program tied to usd coin. The company’s high yield USDC savings program allows customers to gain 4% APY interest on stablecoin accounts. Coinbase Reveals USDC Savings Program With Interest Rates Eight-Times Higher the national average The cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase announced pre-enrollment for its usd coin (USDC) savings program that allows clients to earn a 4% APY interest rate on USDC held on the platform. Coinbase joins firms like Blockfi and Crypto.com that already…

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Dvision Network Open Beta Test (OBT) Goes Live ahead of Dvision World Launch

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PRESS RELEASE. One of the leading blockchain-based NFT & Metaverse platforms, Dvision Network, has revealed that its long-awaited “Open Beta Test” (OBT) is going live on June 30th 2021. According to Dvision Network, the Open Beta Test launch will be divided into several phases, with the following stages to be announced after the successful completion of the 1st phase. The countdown has already started on their official website: https://dvision.network/. Open Beta Test to incorporate new NFT features The Open Beta Test is the test phase that will precede the launch…

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Latest New York mayoral count voided after ‘test’ ballots included in tally

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NEW YORK — The New York City Board of Elections accidentally included results from a mock trial of the city’s new ranked-choice voting system in unofficial primary returns released Tuesday — a snafu that threw the election process into chaos. Tallies released Tuesday afternoon indicated that Kathryn Garcia had come within 2.2 points of leading Democratic candidate Eric Adams after ranked-choice tabulations were processed. But, shortly after the results were released, reporters and campaign staffers noticed there were roughly 135,000 more votes counted than those reported on election night. Three…

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Newsom sues elections chief to call himself a Democrat on recall ballot

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SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom is suing his own appointed elections chief to get two words next to his name on the recall ballot: Democratic Party. The governor and his staff overlooked paperwork last year that would have allowed him to state his party preference on a recall ballot, according to a legal filing first reported Monday by Courthouse News. That apparent misstep means that Newsom would appear on the recall ballot without a party designation, while dozens of challengers will have their party preferences listed. Newsom filed a lawsuit…

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Top Dems working to appease fractured party on infrastructure

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Congressional Democrats are laboring this week to preserve their party’s fragile peace on an increasingly fraught infrastructure strategy. As President Joe Biden scrambles to keep his bipartisan deal with Senate Republicans alive, Democrats are working behind the scenes to mollify their more restive members and present a united front in a critical stretch for his agenda. Moderates are worried about too much spending in a second, one-party bill, while progressives are worried about too little spending — and senior Democrats are caught in the middle. House Budget Committee Chair Rep.…

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