Cryptocurrency investor Avraham Eisenberg has been arrested in Puerto Rico on charges of commodities fraud and manipulation for allegedly stealing more than $100 million from decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol Mango Markets. This marks the first time a U.S. resident has faced charges for manipulating a DeFi platform. Eisenberg Drains $110M from Mango Markets Recall that Eisenberg admitted that his team used a “highly profitable trading strategy” to drain Mango Markets of...
Read More »Web3 Freedom? OpenSea Blocks Cuban Artists due to US Sanctions
In compliance with U.S. sanctions law, OpenSea – the world’s largest NFT marketplace – is delisting Cuban artist and collector accounts from its platform. A recent statement from the company confirms previously held suspicions that its platform discriminates against Cuban users. Compliance With Sanctions In an email received by Artnet News, an OpenSea spokesperson clarified that the company bars “sanctioned individuals, individuals in sanctioned jurisdictions, or services,”...
Read More »US Inflation Gauge PCE Clocks in at 4.7% YoY
The US Personal Consumption Expenditures price index (PCE) increased by 0.1% in November compared to October and by 4.7% compared to a year ago. As the world’s most powerful economy made the announcement, BTC reacted with minor price volatility. The US Commerce Department outlined the PCE increase on Friday. The metric is typically the go-to point for the Federal Reserve, as it provides a clearer picture of consumer prices. The 5.5% jump in the Core PCE (which includes food...
Read More »Bitcoin ATMs Across the Globe and Their Growth Over the Years
The number of bitcoin automated teller machines (ATMs) has surged in accordance with the development of the cryptocurrency industry. The first such machine saw the light of day in October 2013. Needless to say, the industry has expanded by leaps and bounds since then, propelling massive interest and, in turn, more ATMs. Currently, there are 39,678 such devices spread across 84 countries, with over 85% located in the United States of America. An Overlook of the Map...
Read More »SBF To Spend Christmas In Prison After Being Denied Parole By The Bahamas
On December 13, 2022, Bahamian authorities denied parole to Sam Bankman-Fried, also known as SBF, after he was charged by U.S. lawmakers with eight counts of financial fraud. As reported by Reuters, Bahamian Chief Magistrate JoyAnn Ferguson-Pratt denied Sam Bankman-Fried’s lawyers’ request for parole, citing a “great” risk of him becoming a fugitive. Therefore, SBF, now inmate 1472, must spend Christmas in a Bahamian correctional facility, per Magistrate Ferguson-Pratt’s...
Read More »There’s at Least one More Major Market Capitulation: Datadash Explains
Popular Youtuber Nicholas Merten (DataDash) argued that investors have not rushed to “buy the dip” on worries of the inflation numbers, which clocked in lower than the expectations earlier today. Based on his research, the number of people buying and selling BTC has been dropping each week recently, which indicates that its price will likely continue to fall. More Pain Coming In his most recent video, Merten claimed that the traditional bear market for bitcoin is yet to...
Read More »Starbucks Introduces Coffee-Themed NFTs on Polygon to Beta Testers
The American multinational chain of coffeehouses – Starbucks – launched its blockchain-based loyalty program, called Starbucks Odyssey, to its first group of US beta testers. The effort is an extension of the company’s existing project – Starbucks Rewards – and includes coffee-themed NFTs that relate to real-world experiences. The entity displayed its intentions to hop on the NFT and Web3 bandwagon earlier this year by introducing the Starbucks Odyssey program. The...
Read More »Bear Market, Luna Crash, FTX Meltdown: How it Impacted Crypto’s Public Perception (Survey)
A recent study conducted by CNBC estimated that only 8% of American participants currently have a favorable view of cryptocurrencies. Those who supported the asset class in March 2022 were 19%. The market has been through a lot since then – the prices plummeted, the Terra ecosystem crashed, and FTX filed for bankruptcy. Change of Trends 43% of the US participants in CNBC’s “All-America Economic Survey” said they have a negative view of digital currencies, while this figure...
Read More »SBF Willing to Testify Before US House Committee of Financial Services Next Week
The former CEO of FTX – Sam Bankman-Fried – said he is “willing” to testify before the relevant US authorities on December 13. He vowed to shed more light on the reasons behind his exchange’s collapse and his own failures as a leader. The US House Committee on Financial Services claimed earlier this week that the FTX crisis caused colossal investor losses and urged Bankman-Fried to testify on the matter on December 13. SBF took it to Twitter to announce he is ready to satisfy...
Read More »Maxine Waters Is Not Playing With SBF. Says It Is Imperative That He Attends Their Hearing
Following the controversial interview between Sam Bankman-Fried and journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin at the New York Times DealBook Summit, SBF received a cordial invitation on December 13 from Congresswoman Waters to understand what happened during the FTX collapse. However, SBF declined Waters’s invitation, saying he didn’t feel it was the right time to appear before the committee to explain all the events that took FTX, the 2nd largest crypto exchange in the U.S., into...
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