Author: Bitcoin.com
The Venezuelan government has approved a new tax that will affect transactions and payments made with cryptocurrencies and foreign currency. The tax, which is called the “large financial transaction” tax, seeks to incentivize the use of the national currency that has lost its relevance in a multi-currency environment like the one present in Venezuela in the last years. The tax establishes that any transactions or payments made in foreign currencies or cryptocurrencies, without a limit quantity, will have to pay up to 20% over each movement, depending on the nature of it and the companies or persons making them. The percentage to be paid…
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced last week that Michael Yusko has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison “for defrauding customers through unlicensed bitcoin business.” The 47-year-old resident of New Orleans sold bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to customers in May 2018. “Yusko would promise customers any amount of bitcoin in exchange for U.S. dollars at five percent above market price for a five percent fee,” the DOJ detailed, emphasizing that he failed to follow through on transactions. According to the Justice Department, customers subsequently complained about their bitcoin purchases, stating: “Yusko had defrauded them by…
Russia can legalize cryptocurrency mining and stablecoins backed by gold under government control, a high-ranking member of the Russian parliament has suggested. The statement comes after Bank of Russia proposed a wide-ranging ban on the use of cryptocurrencies, and their trading and mining. The free circulation of cryptocurrencies must not be allowed as they carry risks for unqualified investors, but Russia may permit the use of gold-backed stablecoins and the mining of cryptocurrencies under government control, the Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Industry and Trade, Vladimir Gutenev, told the RIA Novosti news agency. On Thursday, The Central Bank of Russia…
The Government of Zimbabwe has confirmed signing an agreement with Daedalus World Limited which enables the latter to collect taxes from crypto and other content providers. The Zimbabwean government recently said it had entered into an agreement with the British Virgin Islands-based Daedalus World Limited wherein the latter is expected to collect taxes from companies that offer “betting, gaming and cryptocurrency services to persons and organisations within the territory of the Republic of Zimbabwe.” According to a News24 report, the inclusion of crypto assets in the tax list is the latest signal from the Zimbabwean government suggesting the country is…
Digital currency markets have slipped significantly in value during the last two weeks and the lower prices have not sparked higher trade volumes. Data shows cryptocurrency spot market volume has slipped from $1.4 trillion in November 2021, to this month’s $593 billion in volume. Bitcoin futures open interest and volumes have dropped considerably over the last two months as well. Crypto Volumes Slide Month-Over-Month Since NovemberWhen crypto markets shed significant value, traders typically look to see if trade volume increases in order to support the current prices. Since a number of coins tapped all-time high prices during the second week…
One of the largest bitcoin mining rig manufacturers in the world, Bitmain announced the launch of a new bitcoin miner that boasts speeds of up to 198 terahash per second (TH/s). The new model is called the Antminer S19 Pro+ Hyd. and it leverages liquid cooling technology in order to improve overall efficiency. Bitmain’s shopping section that hosts the machine’s specifications does not mention a price but notes that shipping will begin in May through September 2022. Bitmain recommends that mining rig operators leverage the Antspace HK3 storage unit with the new miners. The company details that the Antspace HK3 can hold 210 units…
The Central Bank of Iran soon plans to launch the pilot phase of its digital currency project, an official unveiled. The Islamic Republic hopes to a join a growing club of nations that want to take advantage of having a sovereign coin, while it also seeks to implement blockchain technology in other areas. The monetary authority of Iran intends to pilot its central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the near future, a high-ranking representative of the financial regulator said, quoted by the Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA). The news comes in the fourth year since the initial announcement of the…
The Botswana government is set to present a “Virtual Asset Bill” to the country’s parliament, a move that could see it become one of the first countries in Africa to have laws regulating cryptocurrencies. A Botswana government draft document that proposes to regulate new and developing virtual assets businesses, as well as to provide a regulatory body with its functions and powers, is now set to be presented before the country’s lawmakers, a recent government gazette has shown. The planned presentation of the Virtual Asset Bill alongside other bills such as the Financial Intelligence Bill comes just over two months…
Laos’ central bank, the Bank of the Lao P.D.R. (BOL), has reportedly issued licenses to two companies to trade in cryptocurrencies, local media reported Wednesday. The first authorized platform is Lao Digital Assets Exchange (LDX), a joint venture between the AIF Group and the Phongsupthavy Group. The second is Bitqik, a subsidiary of the Simuong Group. The two companies are the only licensed and regulated entities in Laos that can offer full brokerage and trading services in cryptocurrencies and other digital assets. Both platforms are expected to provide full services in April. They will operate in full compliance with the…
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin set up a pair of polls on Twitter Thursday for the Ethereum community. “You wake up in 2035 and 80% of all transactions and savings in the world are in one currency that is not ETH. Which would you prefer it to be?” He wrote. In his first tweet, Buterin asked his followers to choose from BTC, USD, SOL, and ADA. The second tweet lets them choose from TRON, BNB, CNY, and NEO. After 24 hours, the first poll ended with 600,697 votes and the second with 358,743 votes. Cardano (ADA) tops the results of the first poll, followed by bitcoin…