It’s been so many years, and yet the shadows of the dark web platform Silk Road are still with us. Silk Road operated under the illicit hand of Ross Ulbricht and was known for being a market where individuals could pay for drugs, guns, and other illegal items with bitcoin and cryptocurrency.
A Lot of Silk Road Money Has Suddenly Turned Up
Now, it appears the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has seized more than $3 billion in BTC from a man that “unlawfully obtained” about 50,000 units of the world’s number one digital currency by market cap from the dark market back in 2012. James Zhong of Gainesville, Georgia pleaded guilty in early November to committing wire fraud in September of that year and now faces as many as 20 years in jail. To think… Ross Ulbricht may soon

Abu Dhabi has launched a new organization it’s calling the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Crypto and Blockchain Association (MEAACBA). The non-profit is built to bring industry leaders together to discuss the major challenges the crypto industry brings to the region and to see how best to integrate crypto into everyday life.
The MEAACBA Will Seek to Strengthen the Crypto Space
Among the financial companies that have already joined the MEAABA include Bit Oasis, a Dubai-based digital currency exchange; Mid Chains, a trading platform; Crypto.com; Binance, and Rain Financial in Bahrain. Abu Dhabi says it wants to become the world’s leading financial hub, and it hopes to make crypto a staple of living and working in the region.
The MEAACBA chairman Ahmed Al Zaabi explained

The blockchain arena is getting a big boost from financial giant JPMorgan, which recently completed its first cross-border transaction using the technology that’s become so prominent in the crypto space.
JPMorgan Is Giving Defi a Real Boost
The transaction occurred in the decentralized finance (defi) arena, thus bringing one of the world’s largest monetary institutions to the world of autonomous banking. The move is being hailed as a real clincher for digital currency, and many believe this will push the space to new heights and broader levels of mainstream attention.
JPMorgan utilized Polygon to perform the transaction. Polygon is a blockchain system based on Ethereum technology. It’s a modified version of AAVE and is designed to help ETH scale while giving traders

Fidelity Investments is getting ready to offer both bitcoin and Ethereum trading to retail investors. The good news is that all trades will be commission free, though anybody seeking to engage in digital currency trading is likely to still pay a one percent fee on all the money they exchange.
Fidelity Isn’t Being Entirely Forthcoming About Its Fees
The 401K giant announced that roughly one percent fees will be attached to all transactions. Javier Paz – director of data and analytics for Forbes Digital Assets – commented in a recent statement:
Free commissions are a gimmicky way to stand out in a crowded field and yet still make a bundle via spreads. The free commission conveys a good feeling to traders to think they’re getting a deal, but only the savvy ones realize

It appears many digital currency fraudsters and malicious actors are targeting senior citizens, and many organizations out there are trying hard to show seniors how they can prevent themselves from falling victim to such traps.
Seniors Don’t Always Get Crypto
It’s believed many seniors out there are not tech or computer savvy; that they aren’t familiar with how crypto and distributed ledger systems work and thus they can be taken advantage of. Enterprises like Elder Watch are now trying hard to show these individuals what they can do to protect themselves and ensure they don’t lose money to someone seeking to cheat them.
Mark Fetterhoff of AARP Elder Watch explained in a recent interview:
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has said that cryptocurrency is one of the

Crypto billionaires are all very pleased with Elon Musk as of late, and they’re very excited that the South African entrepreneur is taking over Twitter.
Crypto Billionaires Are Happy with Elon Musk
Musk has been turned into something of a villain by democrats and Hollywood celebrities who all claim he’s going to turn the social media platform into a haven for hate speech. By contrast, money hounds in the crypto space have a lot of hope that Musk is going to bring Twitter back to its roots and make it a true free speech company, which is what Musk has always said he’s going to do.
Among those who are happy about the recent takeover is venture capitalist and bitcoin bull Tim Draper, who stated in a recent interview:
I think Elon is awesome, and we are so lucky to have

Huobi Global – a known cryptocurrency exchange – is denying rumors that it plans to let go of some of its employees. It has also denied rumors that two of its top executives have resigned in recent weeks.
Huobi Global: We’re Keeping Our Workers
2022 has been a rough year for crypto. The space has lost more than $2 trillion in overall valuation over the past several months alone, and assets like BTC – the world’s number one digital currency by market cap – have fallen by more than 70 percent from their all-time highs, which were achieved in November of last year.
As a result of what can arguably be labeled the heaviest bear market the digital currency arena has ever seen, many crypto companies and exchanges have been forced into rough positions, and they have had to

Fintech firm Uala – based in the nation of Argentina – is venturing into crypto territory and has stated it will allow customers to trade digital assets like BTC and ETH through its app.
Uala in Argentina Is Giving Way to Crypto Trades
Valued at roughly $2.5 billion following its last funding round, Uala is becoming one of the largest financial technology companies in South America. Customers that utilize the app will be able to trade pesos for mainstream assets like those mentioned above. At the time of writing, the company enjoys more than five million customers throughout nations like Mexico, Colombia, and (naturally) Argentina.
Founder and CEO of the firm Pierpaolo Barbieri explained in a recent interview:
Argentina is the best market to make this investment given

Santander – a UK-based financial institution – has announced it’s not going to allow any crypto exchange payments beginning in 2023. Thus, anyone who has a crypto wallet tied to their traditional bank account that tries to wire money to an attached crypto exchange to purchase assets will instantly be blocked.
Santander Clearly Doesn’t Like Crypto
The organization is taking a lot of flak for the maneuver, with many traders and investors claiming that the bank should not be allowed to decide what its customers can spend their money on. Beginning next year, all real-time payments to crypto exchanges will not be permitted through Santander accounts, and this is just another notch on the old “England hates crypto” ladder that’s been growing exponentially over the last few

Dubai – which has grown exponentially over the years as a leading digital currency hub – is expanding its reputation thanks in part to the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), the regulatory entity of the region. The organization is now unveiling a new digital currency regime designed to boost crypto-based innovation and regulatory strategies.
Dubai Is Growing Its Crypto Friendly Sector
The goal is to make the crypto arena in Dubai as transparent as possible according to a statement regarding the agency’s objectives. Chief executive of the DFSA Ian Johnston said:
As a progressive regulator, the DFSA recognizes the growing interest in innovative financial products. Our work to develop a comprehensive crypto token regime has [considered] feedback from a broad

Iran is a sanctioned country. It’s not allowed to engage in certain activities unless the United States says so. Despite all this, popular digital currency exchange Binance still enabled the country to engage in crypto trades nearing $8 billion at press time.
Binance Is Alleged to Have Aided Iran
Almost all the trades occurred between Binance and Nobitex, a crypto exchange based in the Middle Eastern country. This data comes directly from blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis, which recently produced a report discussing how sanctioned countries will often use crypto to avoid financial penalties.
Back in July, it was stated by various media outlets that Binance knew about what was going on in Iran and did nothing about it. People working within the realms of the

Tokenz Limited – a firm that seeks to provide blockchain-based sustainable practices – has launched its own digital currency exchange to permit customers to trade, purchase, and sell assets like bitcoin and Ethereum. The goal is to enable carbon exchanges within the free market.
Tokenz Limited Is Bringing Its Own Exchange to Fruition
Rimmi Sen – one of the directors of Tokenz Limited – commented in a recent interview:
Tokenz’s platform has arrived with the aim to empower every type of cryptocurrency user. With the launch of our exchange platform, we intend to stand behind our vision that cryptocurrency is for everyone. No other exchange offers .1 percent daily spot wallet holding APY for every trader. Cryptocurrency platforms can be both easy to use and rewarding, and we aim to prove

The Freedom Convoy made headlines earlier in the year when Canada sought to impose COVID vaccine mandates. Comprised of several Canadian truckers and others who refused to give in, the Convoy took issue with what it felt were oppressive politics, and let the world know it wasn’t going to be giving in any time soon.
The Freedom Convoy Is Waiting for Its Crypto Funds
During that period, many people who sided with the Convoy made the decision to forward digital currency funds to those involved. This was because a lot of the fiat currencies that were being utilized to fund their efforts were being blocked by Canadian financial agencies who claimed these kinds of donations were illegal. Thus, donors felt crypto could get the job done and give these people the money they needed to purchase

What is a crypto custodian? It’s a company or person hired to protect your digital assets and prevent them from being stolen or falling into the wrong hands, and according to Matt Leitch – a social media marketer at Internet Pulse – the need for crypto custodians is getting stronger each day.
Matt Leitch Argues That Crypto Custodians Are Very Necessary
As time has gone by, the digital currency market has thrived, but it has also seen its fair share of bad actors. This has left to theft, scams, and other problems that have ultimately prevented the digital currency space from reaching a mainstream level of legitimacy that could empower it beyond reason. Many want to see crypto as strong as gold or as fiat currencies, but these illicit incidents have prevented it from reaching such a

Source Hut – an open-source repository – has stated it’s not going to permit any more projects that delve into the digital currency or blockchain arenas. The idea is that these assets and the technology behind them are too often used for fraudulent means, and the platform doesn’t want its software, its name, or reputation tarnished should illicit actors decide to utilize its services.
Source Hut Is Doing Away with Crypto Permissions
The decision was made by founder and creator Drew DeVault. In an interview, he commented that digital currencies are often featured in “get rich quick” schemes, which he believes bring down both the financial and technology sectors equally. He says digital currencies have been utilized to take advantage of ill-educated people during times of economic strife

Instagram celebrity Jebara Igbara has pled guilty to running a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme involving bitcoin.
Jebara Igbara Guilty of Crypto Ponzi Scheme
Igbara – who has amassed several million followers on social media – entered a guilty plea for his alleged crimes and could be sentenced to as many as ten full years in a federal prison. Often going by the name Jay Mazini, Igbara is 27 years of age and has built a reputation for being a generous person. His social pages often feature videos of him passing out cash to people at grocery stores, airports, fast-food joints, and other public venues likely to attract tons of people.
Court documents claim:
By posting such videos, Igbara created a public persona of himself as a person of substantial means.
Now, however, it’s questionable

New Jersey wants to turn itself into the most crypto friendly region in America. That’s why it’s introducing the “Digital Assets and Blockchain Regulation” Act, which will permit decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) to establish themselves within the state’s borders and issue stock certificates and create tax incentives for digital currency firms.
New Jersey Is Establishing New Digital Currency Laws
New Jersey has been up and down in its relationship with digital assets. While some of the regulations it’s passed for the industry have been relatively positive (some exist as a means of boosting blockchain integration), others legislative maneuvers have prevented politicians or political candidates from accepting digital currencies or non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as donations or

According to White House officials, bitcoin – though it has its benefits – has increased ransomware cases across the country.
The White House Isn’t Confident in BTC
A White House spokesperson (who remains anonymous) recently commented in an interview:
When bitcoin became more widely used, we saw a huge jump in ransomware because it was a way to move money across borders. It’s a borderless threat, and we [need] to tackle it in a borderless way. The threat has clearly evolved.
The government house is now coordinating with approximately 36 countries at the time of writing to establish a new bitcoin ransomware-fighting program that will ensure issues like this become a thing of the past. The spokesperson said:
As we know, ransomware is an issue that knows no borders and affects each of the

What will bring bitcoin back from the brink of disaster? According to famed venture capitalist and digital currency enthusiast Tim Draper, the answer is women.
Tim Draper: Women Are the Answer
The crypto space has been doing very poorly as of late. The industry has fallen by more than $2 trillion in valuation and some of the largest, mainstream digital assets – including bitcoin – are down by 70 percent or more from their 2021 November highs. It’s an ugly sight to see, and many analysts are conflicted about when bitcoin and its altcoin cousins could come back.
Draper said the space has long been dominated by men, though he’s confident more women will be getting involved in crypto. He says they could be the ones that ultimately save the industry from crashing and burning completely. He

Bitstamp is the oldest digital currency exchange in the world. Not long ago, it announced it’s set to begin doing business in the European nation of Luxembourg, and it will soon offer its services to crypto traders in that region.
Bitstamp Is Cementing Itself in Luxembourg
Jean-Baptiste Graftieaux – CEO of Bitstamp – said in an interview:
We have a combination of engineers and product people who understand crypto or fintech. We also have experts in information security area and data protection. These are important for us to be best in class in terms of technology and cyber security. We also need strong customer support people. We have real human beings in our customer support instead of bots because customers want to work with real people.
When talking about why his company decided to

New York really doesn’t care about cryptocurrency, and the re-election of Governor Kathy Hochul is proof of this.
New York Just Doesn’t Get It
During this year’s midterm elections, Hochul ran against Lee Zeldin, who arguably had one of the most competitive republican campaigns in the Empire State in years. Right now, New York is facing a bill that’s been passed by the state legislature. The bill would enforce a moratorium on the crypto mining space and prevent all new digital currency mining companies from setting up shop within the region’s borders.
Zeldin has mentioned numerous times he would end the bill and prevent its passage if he were elected governor. In his campaign against Hochul, he clearly addressed many issues New York was facing. He discussed crime and inflation, items that

Despite the recent crash of the crypto space, despite everything bitcoin has cost him, Michael Saylor – the former head executive of MicroStrategy, a one-time software giant that has since transformed into one of the biggest bitcoin bulls out there – says bitcoin is going to be a winning asset in the end.
Michael Saylor Will Never Give Up on BTC
In a recent interview, he commented:
Speaking for all bitcoiners, we feel we’re trapped in a dysfunctional relationship with crypto and we want out. Bitcoin will be the winner because bitcoin is a digital commodity and it’s the least controversial of everything.
Michael Saylor first began adding bitcoin to the MicroStrategy balance sheet in August of 2020. At that time, the world’s number one digital currency by market cap was trading in the $11K

Ahmad Abu Daher is only 22 years old, yet he’s already making a handsome living as a bitcoin miner in his home country of Lebanon.
Ahmad Abu Daher Is Doing Well as a Miner
Daher runs a whole team and has been doing so ever since he graduated from university. He entered a world that was wrought with financial ruin, as Lebanon is currently dealing with the full collapse of its financial system and hyperinflation. He says he and his fellow miners work around the clock to constantly be adding new assets and units of bitcoin to the blockchain.
Right now, Daher runs a team of approximately 40 people from both Lebanon and Syria. In an interview, he commented:
We can’t sleep. We can’t have any break. All my team is still awake. They don’t sleep. Our shift is working 16 hours per day, and

What are some experts saying about the rise and fall of FTX, which at one point was one of the largest and most popular digital currency exchanges in the world?
FTX Has Crashed and Burned
Craig Erlam – senior market analyst at Oanda – recently formed the following opinion about all the drama surrounding the crypto trading platform:
For a long time, bitcoin has aligned itself with broader risk appetite in the markets, but it goes without saying that Tuesday was not one of those days. Cryptocurrencies have been pummeled at the start of the week, with bitcoin down almost 20 percent in two days at one stage amid concerns over FTX and the implications for the FTT token.
The situation surrounding FTX is not only huge, but it’s one that nobody expected considering the firm’s standing in the

A Dallas man and the digital currency company he created are in hot water after being charged with defrauding a financial program introduced during the COVID era that was designed to keep businesses afloat.
Crypto Company Fraud Thanks to COVID
John Corbin Corona, age 35, was indicted in mid-November on counts of both money laundering and wire fraud for allegedly inflating the size of his cryptocurrency business – HODL LLC – to garner extra funds through the PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) initiative.
COVID was a rough time for everyone. It was a time of shutdowns, death, job losses, bankruptcies, and just about everything else you can imagine that would cause people to lose their minds. The one good thing that came out of it was the state of the crypto space, which seemed to flourish

Crypto firm Block Mate Ventures has launched a new platform that will allow its customers to engage in instant crypto transactions. Traders and investors can log onto the website and instantly purchase assets like bitcoin and Ethereum in mere minutes or seconds.
Block Mate Ventures Seeks to Make Crypto Purchases Faster
The purchases can be done through credit cards or other local payment methods. Block Mate Ventures is introducing a new simplified interface that will be easy and readable for even those with limited or no trading experience. The onboarding process will also be super simple for anyone interested in engaging in the company’s services.
Andrew Smith – CEO of Blockchain World Ltd, the parent company of Block Mate Ventures – commented in a recent interview:
The launch of

Changpeng Zhao – the head honcho of Binance, the largest digital currency exchange in the world – stated in a recent interview that crypto is the “only stable thing” right now regardless of the volatility and falling prices many mainstream assets are dealing with.
Changpeng Zhao Believes in Crypto
Speaking at a conference in Lisbon, Portugal, Zhao commented that he remains confident in the digital currency space, and he believes the industry will make a solid comeback before traders even realize what’s happening. He stated:
Crypto is probably the only stable thing in this very dynamic environment. Yes, prices are volatile, but if you look at the technology, if you look at the fundamentals of cryptocurrencies, limited supply, nothing’s changed. It’s the most stable thing, technology-wise,

It’s happened again, folks. Another digital currency hack is in the books. This time, the victim is Deribit, a cryptocurrency exchange based in the Central American nation of Panama.
Deribit Has Lost a Lot of Money
At the time of writing, as much as $28 million in crypto assets have been stolen. The exchange confirmed the incident in a tweet a few weeks ago, claiming that it’s BTC, ETH, and USDC hot wallets had been compromised by malicious actors and inherently drained of the units they were holding. At press time, the company has confirmed that its cold storage wallets remain unaffected. The good news is that roughly 99 percent of all crypto units held by Deribit are placed in cold storage, so the incident could have been much worse.
The company also confirmed in a separate statement

It would appear several crypto mining companies out there continue to either purchase or inherit machines – even though profits in the industry seem to be dying either due to falling crypto prices or growing energy prices. Thus, while the industry is ailing at press time, it’s not giving up completely.
Crypto Mining Isn’t Giving Up
Not long ago, Clean Spark – a crypto mining firm that runs on renewable energy – bought as many as 3,843 crypto mining machines. The announcement was made on November 1 of this year, and the machines are reported to be Antminer S19J Pro Bitcoin machines, meaning they’re relatively top of the line. They were purchased at roughly $15.50 per tera hash, which is considerably less than what these items would go for.
The company has been buying up loads of machines

With FTX filing bankruptcy and Sam Bankman-Fried now leaving the throes of his once-great company, Congress and the elites in Washington are once again turning up the volume on their arguments for regulating the crypto space.
Congress Is Coming After FTX
There have been far too many accidents this year in the world of crypto. With companies like Celsius suddenly halting withdrawals and then filing for bankruptcy and assets like the Terra Luna (allegedly) stable coin crashing to the ground, many members of Congress are hoping to instill proper regulations to ensure people remain protected and that their investments are not tampered with.
This latest news surrounding FTX is making more members of Congress join the “we need crypto regulation” fight. The irony of the situation is that