Month: December 2021

Twitch Co-Founder Justin Kan Launches Gaming-Centric NFT Marketplace Fractal

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The co-founder of Twitch, Justin Kan launched a gaming-centric non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace called Fractal on December 30. Fractal’s focus is on NFTs with video game utility and the project launched an NFT collection called “Fractals,” a 100,000 unique snowflakes that give users benefits while using the primary and secondary NFT marketplace. Twitch Co-Founder Launches Fractal NFT Market On December 30, the co-founder of Twitch, Justin Kan, told his 245,600 Twitter followers that he launched an NFT marketplace called Fractal. Kan also tweeted about the Fractals NFT collection that leverages…

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Metaverse NYE Parties: Decentraland New Year’s Eve Bash to Recreate One Times Square, Paris Hilton to DJ in Roblox

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There’s a New Year’s Eve fiesta in the metaverse called the Metafest 2022 Global Party hosted by the real estate firm Jamestown and the crypto investment firm Digital Currency Group (DCG) in Decentraland. According to the announcement, the owner of One Times Square, Jamestown will recreate the iconic site in Decentraland for the 2022 ball drop. NYE Meets the Metaverse There’s New Year’s Eve ball drop celebration taking place in the Decentraland metaverse and it’s hosted by the real estate firm Jamestown and Digital Currency Group (DCG). According to the…

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SEC Chairman Gary Gensler Adds Crypto Adviser to Executive Staff

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The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has added a number of advisers to Chairman Gary Gensler’s executive staff. Among them is Corey Frayer, who advises Gensler on “SEC policymaking and interagency work relating to the oversight of crypto assets.” SEC Has New Adviser for the Oversight of Crypto Assets The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced Thursday the appointments of Corey Frayer, Phil Havenstein, Jennifer Songer, and Jorge Tenreiro to Chairman Gary Gensler’s executive staff. The announcement details: Corey Frayer advises Chair Gensler on SEC policymaking and interagency…

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$2.2M Worth of Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs Stolen — Victim Says Incident Was ‘Arguably the Worst Night’ of His Life

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According to reports, roughly $2.2 million worth of Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC) non-fungible tokens (NFTs) were stolen from a collector. The owner of the NFTs Todd Kramer said the incident was “arguably the worst night” of his life. Furthermore, there’s claims that the NFT marketplace Opensea froze the collectibles, and crypto advocates are complaining about the lack of decentralization. 15 BAYC and MAYC NFTs Stolen — Victim Begs Opensea for Help, Reports Claim NFTs Were ‘Frozen’ On December 30, 2021, a BAYC collector…

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100 NFT Collections Surpass $20 Billion in Volume — Cryptopunks, Bored Apes Capture Top Volumes

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Non-fungible token (NFT) assets were extremely popular this year and to date, there’s been more than $20 billion in volume recorded in terms of NFT sales among 100 collections. While many single NFTs sold for millions of dollars a number of NFT projects and collections saw hundreds of millions and even billions in all-time volume. According to defillama.com metrics, the popular NFT collection Cryptopunks captured $2.98 billion in all-time volume. 100 NFT Collections, 6 Chains, $20 Billion in Volume Numerous NFT collections have been very prominent in 2021 and have…

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Biden officials now fear booster programs will limit global vaccine supply

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As the U.S., Europe and parts of Asia consume more booster doses than expected, global health advocates hope the emerging vaccine produced by Maryland-based Novavax will fill the supply gap in low- and middle-income countries in 2022. But while Novavax — after partnering with India’s Serum Institute — obtained regulatory approvals from the World Health Organization and European Commission this month, crucial questions remain about both its ability to obtain Food and Drug Administration approval and to produce enough doses in manufacturing sites other than the Serum Institute. Without sign-offs…

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‘We’re falling behind’: 2022 seen as a pivotal lap in the space race with China

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The new year could be a turning point in what’s steadily defining the next chapter in the space age: The fierce competition between the United States and China for economic and military dominance. Washington, D.C., and Beijing are jockeying for advantage — and international partners — to develop the moon and are locked in what increasingly looks like an arms race that could threaten the growth of satellite constellations and space stations. And so far, international efforts to reduce tensions and encourage sustainable growth in low-Earth orbit and beyond have…

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I Predicted the Culture Wars Would End in 2021. Oops.

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In mid-November 2020 — the days of early vaccine trials, farcical, Covid-hobbled NFL contests, and Four Seasons Total Landscaping — I wrote aspirationally in another publication that, pandemic notwithstanding, the days of constant madness might soon be behind us. Inspired by the swift coming and going of a now-forgotten micro-controversy, I made a bold prediction: that then President-elect Joe Biden would deliver on his promise of returning some modicum of “normalcy” to America, specifically by putting an end to the culture-war rhetoric that emanated constantly from his predecessor’s Oval Office.…

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The politics were supposed to come easy for de Blasio, but became his weak spot

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NEW YORK — Bill de Blasio promised a transformation so extraordinary, New Yorkers would scarcely recognize their city if they elected him mayor. No longer would the upper crust gallivant around, untethered to the problems plaguing the masses. He would tax a relative few to expand pre-K for all, force developers to build affordable housing and rein in the nation’s most powerful police department. After 20 years of Republican mayors, New Yorkers decided to take their chances on a Democratic political operative turned politician — one who had violated a…

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Complaint could roil DOJ foreign-agent prosecutions

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A new legal ethics complaint from a businesswoman charged in a prosecution involving unregistered foreign lobbying threatens to roil two major cases in the Justice Department’s high-profile effort to crack down on foreign influence in the U.S. political system. The complaint was filed with the Justice Department last month on behalf of Nickie Lum Davis, a Hawaii- and California-based businesswoman. The submission alleges that Public Integrity Section Principal Deputy Chief John Keller acted unethically by negotiating a plea deal for her last year with Davis’ attorney at the time, Abbe…

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Donated or Inherited Virtual Assets to Be Taxed by South Korea’s NTS

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Starting in the year 2022, donated or inherited virtual assets will be assessed and taxed accordingly, South Korea’s National Tax Service has said. Dunamu, Bithumb Korea, Korbit, and Coinone are the new virtual asset service providers (VASPs) tasked with evaluating digital assets for such tax purposes. Virtual Asset Service Providers Tasked With Evaluating Crypto Gifts South Korea’s National Tax Service (NTS) recently announced that starting in 2022, digital assets that are inherited or donated will be taxed, a report has said. It added that such digital assets will be taxed…

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Kazakhstan Mulls Nuclear Power to Deal With Electricity Shortages Blamed on Crypto Miners

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The government in Kazakhstan is considering building a nuclear power plant to overcome an electricity deficit allegedly caused by the booming crypto mining industry. Problems with power supply are driving away miners that saw the Central Asian country as a new home when China recently cracked down on the industry. NPP Project Revived Amid Short Supply of Energy for Crypto Mining Sector in Kazakhstan Authorities in Kazakhstan are now thinking of implementing a decade-old plan to construct a nuclear power plant (NPP) in order to solve the country’s pressing issues…

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Bitcoin Treasuries List Claims 59 Companies and a Handful of Countries Hold 1.49 Million BTC

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304 days or roughly nine months ago, 42 companies held bitcoin on their balance sheet with an aggregate total of 1,350,073 bitcoin on March 1, 2021. Today, metrics indicate there are 59 companies, a few countries, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with 1,499,493 bitcoin held in treasuries. Private and Public Companies, ETFs, and Countries — Treasuries List Highlights 59 Firms With Bitcoin on Their Balance Sheets Over the last 12 months, a great number of companies have disclosed that they have added bitcoin (BTC) to the firm’s balance sheet and even…

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Indian Regulator SEBI Wants Mutual Funds to Stay Away From Crypto Investments Until Legislation Is Finalized

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The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has reportedly asked mutual fund companies not to get involved or invest in any type of crypto asset-based investments until the Indian government has come up with cryptocurrency legislation. SEBI Asks Mutual Fund Companies to Wait for Crypto Legislation The chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Ajay Tyagi, reportedly said Tuesday that the market regulator does not want mutual fund companies to get involved or invest in any type of crypto asset-based new fund offers (NFOs) until the…

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk Praises Dogecoin, Criticizes Bitcoin, Guesses Identity of Satoshi Nakamoto

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Tesla and Spacex CEO Elon Musk says dogecoin is “fundamentally better than anything else” he has seen while he criticizes bitcoin. He also discussed the identity of Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, and the official currency of Mars. Elon Musk Discusses Crypto, Dogecoin, Bitcoin, Mars’ Currency, and Who Satoshi Nakamoto Is Elon Musk shared his thoughts on cryptocurrency, dogecoin, bitcoin, and the identity of Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, in an interview with Lex Fridman, published Tuesday. Musk, who has long been a supporter of the meme cryptocurrency dogecoin (DOGE),…

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Biden-Putin call ushers in new phase of diplomacy

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President Joe Biden warned President Vladimir Putin on Thursday that continuing Russia’s aggressive military buildup on the border with Ukraine could force NATO to move more troops into eastern Europe and reiterated any further violation of its territory would exact “serious costs and consequences,” administration officials said. But they also expressed hope that more formal “strategic stability talks” between Washington and Moscow set for January on myriad issues could lead to a path out of the current crisis that Russia says is intended to prevent Ukraine from joining the Western…

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Peter Thiel, Donald Trump Jr. to co-host fundraisers for Cheney challenger

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Tech billionaire Peter Thiel and Donald Trump Jr. are co-hosting a pair of January fundraisers for Wyoming Republican Harriet Hageman, the Trump-backed primary challenger running against GOP Rep. Liz Cheney, according to an invitation to be sent out to GOP donors Thursday. Thiel, a PayPal co-founder and early Facebook investor who has emerged as one of the most sought-after donors in the Republican Party, is hosting the Jan. 26 fundraiser for Hageman’s campaign at his Miami home. That same day, Thiel is also slated to host a separate event benefiting…

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Microstrategy Buys More Bitcoin, Now Holding 124,391 BTC

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Nasdaq-listed Microstrategy has bought more bitcoin for its corporate treasury. The latest purchase for 1,914 coins has raised the company’s total cryptocurrency holdings to 124,391 bitcoins. CEO Michael Saylor recently said that he expects the price of the cryptocurrency to eventually reach $6 million. Microstrategy Has Purchased More Bitcoin The pro-bitcoin Nasdaq-listed company Microstrategy has purchased 1,914 more BTC. With the latest purchase, the company now holds 124,391 bitcoins. Microstrategy CEO Michael Saylor announced Thursday via Twitter: Microstrategy has purchased an additional 1,914 bitcoins for ~$94.2 million in cash at…

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Tether’s Market Cap Nears $80B, USDT Represents 46% of the Stablecoin Economy

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This week the stablecoin giant tether reached a market capitalization of roughly $78.2 billion according to data. Over the last 30 days, tether’s market valuation grew by 5.6% and the stablecoin now represents 46% of the $168.3 billion stablecoin economy. Tether Market Cap is Less Than $2 Billion Away From Reaching $80 Billion On December 30, 2021, there’s roughly 78.2 billion tether (USDT) in circulation, according to coingecko.com’s top stablecoin by market capitalization statistics. According to Tether Limited’s transparency report published to the tether.to web portal, there’s $78.5 billion assets…

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Pakistan Freezes Over 1,000 Accounts and Cards Used For Crypto Trading

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Authorities in Pakistan have reportedly moved to seize hundreds of bank accounts and cards belonging to cryptocurrency traders. According to local media, they have been allegedly used to make transactions worth close to $300,000 through digital asset exchanges, including major platforms. Pakistan Government Blocks Cards Used to Buy Cryptocurrency, Media Reveals Bank accounts in the names of 1,064 individuals have been frozen by Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The law enforcement authority acted on request from the Cyber Crime Reporting Center (CCRC) in Islamabad, the Pakistan Observer informed readers on…

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Hochul looks to put her own stamp on New York governorship

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ALBANY, N.Y. — She’s been governor of New York for more than four momentous months. But Kathy Hochul will truly claim the title next week, when she becomes the first woman in New York history to deliver a State of the State speech. The last quarter or so of 2021 has been a mop-up operation for Hochul, 63, who took over in Albany when Andrew Cuomo resigned last August. In the months since, she has had to deal with the aftermath of her predecessor’s abrupt departure and now-toxic legacy —…

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2021’s Digital Asset Shuffle: A Myriad of Crypto Market Cap Positions Moved Chaotically This Year

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2021 has been a bullish year for crypto assets. While prices have risen a great deal, the top ten and top twenty rankings in terms of market capitalization have also changed significantly. A great number of coins have either been pushed down or have entered the crypto economy’s top positions in terms of overall market valuation. 2021’s Top Crypto Asset Positions Change Drastically On December 27, 2020, a historical snapshot of the crypto prices that day shows that bitcoin (BTC) and ethereum (ETH) both led the pack as far as…

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Close to $50 Million in Bitcoin From 2011 Moved for the First Time in 10.5 Years

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On December 29, two addresses from 2011 containing 500 bitcoin each transferred 1,000 coins for the first time in 10.5 years. Furthermore, another wallet from 2011 woke up on Wednesday, moving 40 bitcoin for the first time in over a decade. 1,040 Bitcoin from 2011 Move for the First Time in 10.5 Years On Wednesday, an address created on July 10, 2011, at 11:22 p.m. (UTC) with 500 bitcoin (BTC) transferred the BTC for the first time in 10.5 years. Another wallet, created on the same day in 2011, dispersed…

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Former GOP congressman faces Trump squeeze in key Senate race

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GREENSBORO, N.C. — Mark Walker has been here before. Stuck in political no man’s land, facing an upcoming filing deadline, with his hopes of becoming a senator all but dashed and the boundaries of his familiar former House district in question. The former congressman’s Senate bid remains in limbo after former President Donald Trump earlier this month privately offered to endorse Walker to run for a newly drawn House seat instead. Also looming is a legal challenge to North Carolina’s map, which could result in the new district being abruptly…

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I Thought I Knew Harry Reid. I Was Wrong.

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The first time I called Harry Reid’s office, I was trying to provoke him. It was the spring of 2008, and I was working as a banking reporter for a trade publication unhelpfully called SNL Financial and headquartered, just as unhelpfully, in Charlottesville, Va. Senate Democrats didn’t carve out a lot of time for business journals in sleepy college towns, especially if the name sounded like something from a comedy show. So I’d spent a day baiting right-wing anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist into hammering Reid on the record. Maybe Reid’s…

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Iran Allows Renewable Power Plants to Supply Crypto Miners With Electricity

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Authorities in Iran have decided to permit power generation plants using renewable sources to sell electricity to licensed cryptocurrency miners. The move comes after the government asked mining companies to suspend activities in order to avoid winter blackouts. Crypto Miners in Iran to Mint Digital Coins Using Renewable Energy Regulated companies mining cryptocurrency in Iran will gain access to green energy, local media reported. The Ministry of Energy in Tehran has adopted new rules allowing plants generating electricity from renewable sources to supply coin minting enterprises that operate within the…

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Over 20,000 Bitcoin ATMs Installed in a Year

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The number of cryptocurrency ATMs around the world has grown exponentially in 2021, with over 20,000 new installations made since last December. That’s more than the total of all crypto teller machines put into operation in the previous seven years. Close to 34,000 Crypto ATMs Available Globally ATM locations offering users options to buy and exchange cryptocurrencies with fiat money are increasing at an unprecedented pace. Data compiled by Coin ATM Radar shows that their number towards the end of 2021 is nearing 34,000. In a year that saw crypto…

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Hong Kong Authorities Arrest Two Siblings Accused of Laundering $384 Million via Banks, Crypto Platform

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Authorities in Hong Kong have arrested two individuals accused of laundering about $384 million using various avenues including a cryptocurrency exchange trading platform. If convicted, the two face a maximum jail sentence of 14 years plus a fine of $5 million. An Indictable Offense Two people accused of laundering about $384 million using a cryptocurrency exchange platform have been arrested, the Hong Kong regional government has said. The arrest of the two, a 28-year-old woman and her 21-year-old brother, followed a raid on their residential premises conducted by the Hong…

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Investment Adviser Warns It’s a Mistake to Ignore Crypto Assets, Predicts Cryptocurrencies Will Outperform Equities

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Blueprint Capital Advisors CEO Jacob Walthour says it’s a mistake to ignore crypto as an asset class. He also predicts that crypto will outperform equities in the foreseeable future. Investment Adviser Expects Crypto to Outperform Equities Jacob Walthour, CEO and co-founder of Blueprint Capital Advisors, discussed his outlook for the crypto and equity markets in an interview with CNBC Wednesday. Walthour has over 25 years of experience in capital markets, traditional, and alternative asset management. “At this stage, we have to think back to how it all started,” he began.…

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Harry Reid Was More Complicated Than You Knew

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There will never be another like him. Not a chance. Oh sure, there will be leaders who grew up in unimaginable poverty. Or those who are more workhorse than showhorse. Or who dominate their state’s political apparatus. But no one will ever have the conjunctions Harry Reid put together: a poor kid from Nowhere, USA, who escaped from his hardscrabble beginnings and became the state’s youngest-ever lieutenant governor and then lost both a U.S. Senate race (by 600 votes) and mayor’s race (in a landslide) and then was resurrected by…

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