News

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has named Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick as co-chair of his transition team ahead of the presidential election in November—and Lutnick is a big Bitcoin bull. Trump's campaign made the announcement Friday, also noting that Linda McMahon—the former administrator of the Small Business Administration—would serve as co-chair alongside Lutnick. Vice Presidential candidate J.D. Vance will serve as an honorary chair alongside Trump's sons Eric and Donald Jr. Tran...

A new report from the UK's National Crime Agency has found that as much as $5.1 billion worth of illicit crypto transactions are linked to the country every year, with both digital and crypto related crime on the rise. The agency's findings were published in its annual National Strategic Assessment, which draws on data from law enforcement, government, and private intelligence. “As the popularity of cryptocurrency grows, so too does the frequency of cryptocurrency crime,” the report stated. The...

The average Norwegian “owns” $27 worth of Bitcoin indirectly as of the first half 2024, thanks to investments made by the country’s sovereign wealth fund. According to K33Research, the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund (NBIM) now has indirect exposure to 2,446 BTC through investments in tech firms with exposure to the cryptocurrency. Its “holdings,” worth just over $143 million, have increased by 938 BTC since December 31, 2023. The $1.7 trillion Norges Bank Investment Management fund invests the...

Former president Donald Trump holds over a million dollars worth of Ethereum, according to a financial disclosure obtained by watchdog Citizens for Ethics. Per his disclosure, the Republican presidential nominee holds anywhere from $1 million to $5 million in his “cryptocurrency wallet virtual ethereum key,” in a hardware wallet. Trump has also brought in over $7.15 million from an NFT license agreement.  According to Arkham Intelligence, Trump holds $3.6 million worth of cryptocurrency in hi...

Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) have withdrawn their applications to list and trade options based on two U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs. Per an August 14 Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, the NYSE has withdrawn the proposed rule change that would enable it to list and trade options on the Bitwise Bitcoin ETF (BITB) and the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC). The proposal was originally published for public comment in February, with the SEC extending its review period in April a...

Crypto criminals are increasingly targeting centralized exchanges, having made off with more than $1.5 billion in the first half of the year, according to a mid-year report by blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis.  It marks a significant shift after four years of heightened focus on decentralized platforms. The report attributes this change to the growing sophistication of attackers, who are now employing advanced social engineering tactics.  Chainalysis highlighted that some attackers, includin...

On Thursday, the International Monetary Fund said an increase in electricity taxes for crypto miners by as much as 85% could play a significant role in curbing global carbon emissions, as the organization continues to sound off warnings relating to the industry.   That’s despite smaller operations struggling to turn a profit following Bitcoin’s halving event in April, which has placed increasing pressure on miners to find more efficient ways to operate. “Such a levy would raise annual government...