Author: NBTC
Taiwanese authorities have apprehended a 30-year-old man, identified as Chen, for operating as an unregistered virtual currency dealer under newly enforced anti-money laundering regulations. Chen, based in Kaohsiung, had been using Facebook groups to solicit cryptocurrency trades and arrange in-person transactions where he exchanged Tether (USDT) for cash. Despite the new law, Chen reportedly completed hundreds of transactions in less than a month, selling 400,000 USDT and profiting NT$800,000. Police arrested him on December 24 and seized computers, mobile phones, cash counters, and safes as evidence. This marks the first case of its kind since the Virtual Asset Service Provider…
This is a segment from the Empire newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe. Binance has barely skipped a beat since CZ stepped down. And it’s not like the odds aren’t stacked against it — even to the point that much of the world outside crypto has been outright hostile to it. The past few years have seen rolling bans and other jurisdictional roadblocks across parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. That includes a grueling eight-month ordeal in Nigerian jail for Tigran Gambaryan, Binance’s head of financial crime compliance who’d been arrested on spurious money laundering charges. Then there’s increasing competition…
Crypto analyst TechDev has predicted that the Bitcoin price could rally to as high as $139,000 in this market cycle. The analyst made this prediction based on previous election cycles, which were also bullish for the flagship crypto. Bitcoin Price To Reach $139,000 Based On Previous Election Cycles In an X post, TechDev predicted that the Bitcoin price could reach $139,000 in this bull run based on previous election cycles. In 2012, the Bitcoin price was $10 on election day, and a year later, BTC witnessed a 22.7x increase as it rallied to $245. In 2016, Bitcoin was $710 on…
Phoenix Global Media Group’s AIR streaming platform has announced a strategic partnership with crypto-powered Theta Labs. The two firms want to roll out what they described as the globe’s first AI and blockchain-powered audio streaming service. Based on the collaboration, the new product will integrate with AIR’s advanced AI technology and Theta’s Edgecloud infrastructure to provide immersive video and audio content to users. This innovation will provide users with a high and seamless personalized experience needed in the Web3 landscape. The partnership will see the two firms develop special NFT offerings for entertainment events. By incorporating Theta’s EdgeCloud technology, AIR’s…
The ongoing legal battle between Ripple Labs and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has gained widespread attention, carrying profound implications for the entire cryptocurrency industry. The lawsuit, which began in December 2020, accuses Ripple, along with its CEO Brad Garlinghouse and co-founder Chris Larsen, of raising over $1.3 billion through an unregistered securities offering by selling XRP. In the midst of this high-stakes legal fight, Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), David Schwartz, recently shared his thoughts on the situation. He opened up about the challenges posed by the lawsuit and the broader regulatory scrutiny faced by the crypto…
Pundi X Labs has announced the transformation of its f(x)Wallet into Pundi Wallet. It proves to be an exciting leap forward for the development of a decentralized and user-friendly ecosystem. This advancement of a new ecosystem will be leveraged by self-custody and crypto payments. This advancement highlights the platform’s commitment to allowing users to have complete access to their digital assets. The company further aims to make advancements in decentralized financial solutions. https://t.co/QptzaTBu0O — Pundi X Labs (@PundiXLabs) January 13, 2025 Pundi X Labs, a blockchain-based payment solution, has announced the rebranding of its wallet via its official X account.…
Bitcoin price is rising steadily above the $95,000 zone. BTC is showing positive signs and might soon hit the $100,000 milestone level. Bitcoin started a fresh increase above the $95,000 zone. The price is trading above $95,000 and the 100 hourly Simple moving average. There is a key bullish trend line forming with support at $95,200 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair (data feed from Kraken). The pair could continue to rise if it clears the $100,000 resistance zone. Bitcoin Price Sets Another ATH Bitcoin price remained supported above the $92,000 level. BTC formed a base and started…
Market commentator Robert Doyle, widely known as Crypto Sensei, has sent a bold message to crypto investors concerning XRP. According to him, one needs to own 10,000 XRP before 2025, or they may miss out on what’s expected to come. Doyle believes XRP is poised for massive growth due to its unique position in the future of global finance. Analysis of XRP Potential in Global Finance In a recent video, Crypto Sensei discussed how Ripple’s technology is gaining increasing trust from central banks worldwide, which he sees as a critical driver of XRP’s potential future value. “XRP has been at…
A federal grand jury has indicted three Russian individuals for running Blender.io and Sinbad.io, two crypto-mixing services reportedly used for money laundering. The DOJ’s investigation found that these two mixers were users to launder proceeds from several ransomware attacks, crypto scams, and other crimes. DOJ’s Crackdown Against Crypto Money Laundering Crypto mixers allow users to obscure the origin of their cryptocurrency transactions. According to the indictment, the accused operated platforms that helped criminals disguise illicitly obtained funds, including ransomware payments and wire fraud proceeds. The three individuals indicted are Roman Vitalyevich Ostapenko, Alexander Evgenievich Oleynik, and Anton Vyachlavovich. They are…
South Korea’s leading cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb has announced the addition of Ancient8 (A8) and Drift (DRIFT) to its KRW trading market. Bithumb Announces Ancient8 (A8) and Drift (DRIFT) Listed on KRW Market The new listings aim to provide users with diversified investment opportunities and access to innovative blockchain projects. Listing Details Ancient8 (A8) Supported Market: KRW Network: Ethereum (Deposits via other networks are not supported) Transaction Start Time: January 14, 2025, 17:00 Starting Price: 429 KRW Deposit Confirmation Number: 33 Drift (DRIFT) Supported Market: KRW Network: Solana (Deposits via other networks are not supported) Transaction Start Time: January 14, 2025,…