Digital Currency

Not long after Mike Winkelmann, aka Beeple, received his $53 million in ether (ETH, +3.76%) (ETH) for selling a non-fungible token (NFT) through Christie’s (after fees), he reportedly converted the cryptocurrency into fiat. What was seen as a vote of confidence for this new technological medium – it was the third-largest art sale ever, right behind Jeff Koons’ “Rabbit” and David Hockney’s “Portrait of an Artist (Pool With Two Figures)” – might now be seen as a betrayal. He quite literally sold out. Beeple told The New Yorker on Monday, “I’m not remotely a crypto-purist. I was…

The problem with crypto is not that it is a scam. Or a bubble. Or used in any significant way today to evade taxes and finance terrorism. The problem with crypto is it presents a viable alternative to monetary monopolies by national governments. A viable alternative to banks and other financial institutions. A viable alternative to intermediated exchange. Pondering Durian is a tech-focused investor and writer who explores connections involving the U.S., China, and Emerging Asia (India and Southeast Asia) in the Emerging newsletter and blog. The real problem – for politicians, nation-states…

There is a revealing, albeit slightly morbid, maxim that “safety standards are written in blood.” Humans and human-created systems generally tend to be reactive rather than proactive when it comes to developing protective rules. Nevertheless, today’s construction workers and consumers are more shielded from danger than those of the past because we’ve learned from prior mistakes. Rick McDonell was the executive secretary of the Financial Action Task Force from 2007 until 2016. Prior to that, he was chief of the United Nations Global Program against Money Laundering at the UNODC. He…

Effect Network, a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform that connects companies to the global workforce, will be switching its development from the EOS blockchain to the Binance Smart Chain (BSC). Effect Network developers said Thursday the main reason for the shift to BSC, a smart contract-based blockchain backed by exchange giant Binance, is due to concerns about the future of the EOS blockchain and its leadership. In January, serial blockchain entrepreneur and EOS CTO Dan Larimer left Block.one “to pursue new personal projects.” Effect Network cites “unfulfilled promises to address the many issues…

Crypto bank Avanti raised $37 million from Series A investors as it prepares to take its digital banking operations online. In a press release, parent company Avanti Financial Group said Coinbase Ventures, Binance.US, Morgan Creek Digital, Slow Ventures and the University of Wyoming Foundation, among others, participated in the funding round. Avanti has raised $44 million total, the group said. Avanti said it will put the funds toward meeting regulatory capital requirements and further invest in its engineering team. It gained special-purpose depository institution (SPDI) status in October, joining fellow Wyoming-based crypto…

Bitcoin (BTC) trading around $52,184.38 as of 20:00 UTC (4 p.m. ET). Slipping 4.77% over the previous 24 hours. Bitcoin’s 24-hour range: $50,458.10-$54,762.75 (CoinDesk 20) BTC trades between its 10-hour and 50-hour averages on the hourly chart, a sideways signal for market technicians. Bitcoin trading on CoinbaseSource: TradingView Bitcoin traders urged caution as prices for the cryptocurrency slid toward $50,000 for the first time in two weeks while the options market braced for volatility ahead of a record $6 billion contract expiration Friday. “This is a time to make sure that you…

McLaren, the legendary Formula 1 auto racing team, has entered into a long-term partnership with Turkish crypto firm Bitci.com to create an official fan token for the team. The U.K.-based McLaren will launch its fan token – which it says is the first of its kind in Formula 1 racing – through the new partnership. Bitci.com will also become an official partner of the racing team, according to Wednesday’s announcement. Bitci.com is a Turkish cryptocurrency exchange with around $50 million in 24-hour traded volume. McLaren joins other prominent sports teams that have launched fan tokens….

Deutsche Bank’s investor clients mostly see limited upside in bitcoin (BTC) this year and expect a decline towards $20,000-$40,000 in 12 months. Those are the highlights of a monthly market survey conducted by the German lender March 18-22 of 520 market professionals around the world. Bitcoin has been trading in a sideways range over the past week after failing to sustain an all-time-high around $61,000 reached earlier in the month. The 12-month BTC price forecast is more evenly distributed versus the three-month forecast, though a majority (52%) of respondents see prices under…