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Binance's Australian derivatives license was canceled at the crypto exchange's own request, the Australian Securities & Investments Commission said Thursday, after the regulator had begun a "targeted review of Binance" in February. Binance's exchange token was down just under 0.5% Thursday morning. Binance's regulatory scrutiny has been mounting in recent weeks and months. An apparently inadvertent compliance issue led to the Australian regulatory probe. Australia's top securities regulator has had a challenging relationship with the crypto industry in recent months, pursuing enforcement actions against several firms which the regulator alleges have violated Australian law.

☆ Bitcoin outlook: Crypto may be in a bull market now, but investors should still tread carefully
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The case for a new crypto bull market has been slowly growing since the beginning of the year and gained more strength still in March. For Orsini, the new bull market in crypto began on Jan. 13, when bitcoin broke through its 200-day moving average. "But an enduring secular bull market will have clarity and regulation underpinning it." "When that framework gets introduced you're going to be closer to the beginning of a secular bull market." Less liquidity, bigger swings Bull market or not, investors agree it'll be no straight line up over the next few months.

☆ Hong Kong’s Crypto Ambitions Get a Boost From U.S. Crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Elaine Yu | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ambre Soubiran, CEO of Kaiko, a digital assets data provider that plans to build a team in Hong Kong with customer-facing roles. HONG KONG—Hong Kong’s attempt to attract cryptocurrency companies is getting help from an intensifying crackdown by American regulators. The city was once home to a number of prominent companies, including Crypto.com, BitMEX and now-bankrupt FTX. But increasing competition from Singapore, concerns about China’s tough approach to crypto and Hong Kong’s prolonged and strict response to Covid-19 meant many companies in the sector left.

Yet investors aiming to amp up their bets face an ominous obstacle: a lack of liquidity that could trigger wild price swings. Slippage, a liquidity measure describing how much prices change between the placement and execution of a trade, has also increased. The vanishing liquidity can be traced back to the collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX exchange and hedge fund Alameda Research. Until then, "liquidity is probably going to get worse and worse", said Joseph Edwards, investment adviser at Enigma Securities. "Even if some players haven't left the place, they are on the sidelines right now because of what's happening with banking turmoil," Edwards said.

☆ Bitcoin falls after CFTC sues crypto exchange Binance for allegedly breaking trading rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Cryptocurrencies dropped on Monday morning after the CFTC sued Binance, the biggest crypto exchange in the world, for allegedly violating trading rules. The price of bitcoin slid 2.5% to $27,142.29, according to Coin Metrics. In a court filing, the CFTC, or the Commodity Futures and Trading Commission, said Binance violated eight provisions of a commodities trading law "designed to prevent and detect money laundering and terrorism financing." It's the largest crypto exchange and any U.S. regulatory action against it will have huge implications for the industry," she said. "Many knew Binance had a bullseye on its back, but this is still unnerving some crypto traders," said Ed Moya, an analyst at Oanda.

☆ An odd benefit of the Silvergate fallout is the outlook for stablecoins has just gotten rosier
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Stablecoins have been touted as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the end of Silvergate and Signature . The problem is, though, that stablecoin issuers still need access to a crypto bank, so the risk is now further concentrated." The legislation — the Pennsylvania Republican's second effort that year — would have required stablecoins to be fully backed by reserves. De-risked from the banking system Some stablecoins may offer an on-ramp into crypto, but they won't take the place of bank accounts . Some in crypto have been pointing out that although Silvergate and Signature were the biggest crypto banks, they weren't the only ones.

☆ Medalie: Bitcoin's correlation with the Nasdaq is at the lowest level since the collapse of FTX
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMedalie: Bitcoin's correlation with the Nasdaq is at the lowest level since the collapse of FTXClara Medalie, director of research at Kaiko, discusses the rally Bitcoin, Ether and other cryptocurrencies have seen in wake of the collapse of Silvergate, SVB and Signature Bank.

☆ Crypto just lost both of its main banks. Here's what it means for the industry going forward
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The days before the industry had crypto-forward banks to turn to were some of the darkest for the industry. At the end of February, three major banking regulators issued a joint statement warning banks of the liquidity risks associated with banking crypto companies. "Banks and law firms are getting a clear message from regulators: distance yourselves from crypto companies," said Ric Edelman, founder of the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals. "But for the moment, crypto companies are increasingly finding themselves where cannabis companies were a decade ago." Employees work at a Signature Bank branch in Manhattan on March 13, 2023 in New York City.

☆ Bitcoin, ether fall after go-to crypto bank Silvergate announces liquidation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The slight move lower began late Wednesday, a few hours after Silvergate Capital announced it will wind down operations and liquidate its crypto-friendly bank. Crypto prices fell on Thursday after Silvergate, a bank that has been at the center of the industry's growth, made a decision to shut down. "This likely consolidates crypto exposure to a handful of smaller banks, which means more liquidity risk and more concentration risk. "We've also noticed a drop in liquidity on both USD crypto pairs and U.S. exchanges as liquidity providers are taking a wait-and-see approach. In the short term, lower liquidity will lead to more volatility in markets and bigger price moves up or down."

☆ Bitcoin, ether slide on Friday as investors weigh potential fallout from Silvergate woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A pedestrian walks past signage for Ethereum, top, and Bitcoin outside the Hong Kong Digital Asset Exchange Ltd. digital currency trading store in Hong Kong, China, on Thursday, June 24, 2021. Bitcoin was last lower by more than 4% at $22,364.21, according to Coin Metrics. Cryptocurrency prices fell on Friday as investors weighed the latest financial woes at Silvergate Capital and assessed what a potential bankruptcy at the crypto bank could mean for the broader crypto industry. Bitcoin and ether prices remained flat throughout Thursday, while shares of Silvergate dropped 57%. "To start 2023, crypto markets enjoyed a solid rally to six-month highs following a slowdown in FTX-related contagion, but the Silvergate news has renewed concerns around liquidity and risk," Medalie added.

☆ Crypto Company Circle Focuses on Growth After Canceled SPAC Merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Mark Maurer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Circle is still hiring even as many crypto companies are laying off staff and some have filed for bankruptcy following the run on the stablecoin TerraUSD last spring. The crypto company had been preparing to go public via a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company, a move to access the capital market, enhance its transparency and further expand operations internationally. A SPAC typically has as long as two years to find its merger partner, clear the SEC’s review process and complete the deal. Circle, which was founded in 2013, intends to make another bid to go public, though likely not this year, Mr. Fox-Geen said. Circle in 2021 said that Poloniex LLC, its discontinued crypto exchange business, paid $10.4 million to settle a case brought by the SEC.

REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File PhotoFeb 21 (Reuters) - The world of stablecoins is suddenly looking shaky. "There's way too much demand for dollar-based stablecoins for them to go away," said Alex Miller, CEO at bitcoin developer network Hiro. Market leader tether (USDT) has been a big beneficiary, adding $1.9 billion to its market capitalization to hit $70.3 billion since the news. It now commands 52.6% of the stablecoin market, up from just over 51%. Traders also use these tokens to hedge their positions, and hence dwindling market value is associated with falling liquidity and leverage in the broader crypto market.

☆ New Year, new rally: Why bitcoin is up 26% this month after a tumultuous 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

"The most important macro data investors are focussing on is the weak services PMI and the trending down of employment and wage data. 'Whales' buying BTCLarger purchasers of digital coins known as "whales" may be leading the latest rally in bitcoin, according to Kaiko. Several bitcoin miners have been flushed out by the drop in prices. Bitcoin miners, who use power-intensive machines to verify transactions and mint new tokens, have been squeezed by the slump in prices and rising energy costs. That's historically a good sign for bitcoin, according to Ayyar.

☆ 4 crypto experts break down what's next for the industry with trading volumes down 50% since the FTX collapse
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Crypto daily trading volumes plunged 50% following FTX's collapse, per Bloomberg and Kaiko data. Insider spoke with four crypto experts about what's next for the nascent industry. The plunge in trading volumes comes at a pivotal time for the industry, which is enduring a prolonged and brutal bear market. "Many bull market retail investors have vacated the market causing significant lower trading volumes," Andreas Christensen, the founder of blockchain gaming developer SuperOne, said. Christensen added: "In such a fragile bear market, a big-time criminal act like SBF did with FTX will have a severe impact on the market sentiment and trading volumes."

☆ Spooked investors have pulled billions of dollars off Binance. Data suggests fears may be overblown
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Investors have been pulling billions of dollars of funds off Binance amid growing scrutiny over the crypto exchange's reserves. On Tuesday afternoon, more than $6.6 billion in crypto had left the exchange over a 24-hour period, according to Nansen. This has investors spooked about the health of Binance in the wake of former competitor FTX's spectacular downfall, which ended Tuesday with CEO Sam Bankman-Fried's arrest and indictment . It remains to be see how wide the damage done by FTX spreads in the crypto market. Clara Medalie, research director at crypto data firm Kaiko, said liquidity on Binance has stayed stable and bitcoin's market depth is holding steady.

Interest in this niche breed of cryptocurrencies, typically linked to sports teams like Barcelona or Brazil, has been charged up by the soccer World Cup which began on Nov. 20. The token of Lionel Messi's Argentina side slumped 25% to $5.26 following the team's shock defeat by Saudi Arabia in their opening World Cup game. The broader crypto market malaise is partly to blame for price drops, according to researchers who said the flighty assets were wilting as investors shunned risk. "But the first perception should never be that you're buying the fan token from a profit-generating standpoint." It facilitates trading of most fan coins, describing buying such tokens as joining a loyalty scheme with exclusive benefits and prizes.

☆ 2 Crypto lender BlockFi files for Chapter 11
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

It listed crypto exchange FTX as its second-largest creditor, with $275 million owed on a loan extended earlier this year. COMMENTS:MARTHA REYES-HULME, HEAD OF RESEARCH, BEQUANT, LONDON"The BlockFi bankruptcy is a sad chapter in the short history of our industry that has forced participants to be more mindful of risk management, counterparty risk, and governance. MONSUR HUSSAIN, SENIOR DIRECTOR, FITCH RATINGS, LONDON“BlockFi’s Chapter 11 restructuring underscores significant asset contagion risks associated with the crypto ecosystem, and, potentially, deficient risk management processes. It was yet another example of neglected risk management when prices were going up, as crypto winter hit those that took on the most counterparty risk are getting exposed." "From a customer standpoint it serves as another reminder to be skeptical of any crypto yield products on offer, particularly those that sound too good to be true.

☆ 3 Crypto lender BlockFi files for Chapter 11
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

It listed crypto exchange FTX as its second-largest creditor, with $275 million owed on a loan extended earlier this year. MARTHA REYES-HULME, HEAD OF RESEARCH, BEQUANT, LONDON"The BlockFi bankruptcy is a sad chapter in the short history of our industry that has forced participants to be more mindful of risk management, counterparty risk, and governance. MONSUR HUSSAIN, SENIOR DIRECTOR, FITCH RATINGS, LONDON“BlockFi’s Chapter 11 restructuring underscores significant asset contagion risks associated with the crypto ecosystem, and, potentially, deficient risk management processes. The decentralized finance models used proper collateralization and they're intact. It was yet another example of neglected risk management when prices were going up, as crypto winter hit those that took on the most counterparty risk are getting exposed."

☆ FTX Debacle Could Drag Down Decentralized Crypto Too
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Jon Sindreu | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

For many proponents of digital currencies, the demise of crypto exchange FTX shows the line between “bad” centralized crypto and its “good” decentralized counterpart. Unfortunately, the two are more intertwined than fans may care to admit. The FTX debacle has spread, prompting investors to dump digital currencies and quit other centralized crypto venues. Trading house Alameda Research, an affiliate of FTX that blew a hole in its balance sheet, used to have a big role in market making, and its absence is worsening price swings, according to analytics firm Kaiko. The latest ructions follow a round of failures among crypto lenders that started in May, also triggered by excessive risk and opaque practices.

☆ From $32 billion to criminal investigations: How Sam Bankman-Fried's empire vanished overnight
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +17 min

Alameda's success spurred the launch of crypto exchange FTX in the spring of 2019. A Twitter fight with the CEO of rival exchange Binance pulled the mask off the scheme. Alameda, FTX and a host of subsidiaries Bankman-Fried founded have filed for bankruptcy protection in Delaware. On Nov. 2, CoinDesk reported a leaked balance sheet showing that a significant amount of Alameda's assets were held in FTX's illiquid FTT token. On Nov. 6, according to Bankman-Fried, the exchange had roughly $5 billion of withdrawals, "the largest by a huge margin."

☆ Cryptocurrencies slide as worries about FTX fester in latest crypto liquidity scare
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Crypto assets tied to Alameda, the trading company also owned by billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried, were suffering steeper losses. FTX Token (FTT), the native token of the FTX trading platform, has fallen 23% in the past 24 hours. The token tied to Ethereum competitor Solana , of which Alameda is a big backer, has lost 12%. Binance is the largest crypto exchange in the world by trading volume and was an early backer of FTX. Those revelations refer to rumors about the solvency of FTX, the second-biggest crypto exchange in the world by trading volume.

But for the past few months, bitcoin's price has bounced stubbornly around $20,000 in a sign that volatility in the market has settled. Large crypto investors with highly leveraged bets like Three Arrows Capital were floored by the pressure on prices, further accelerating the market's drop. Mastercard announced a service that allows banks to offer crypto trading, having previously launched a new blockchain security tool for card issuers. In a note released Thursday, analysts at the bank said there were parallels with bitcoin's trading in Nov. 2018, when prices steadied for a while before rising steadily. Publicly-traded bitcoin miners sold 12,000 bitcoins in June and only around 3,000 in September, according to Goldman Sachs.

☆ Congo expels Rwanda ambassador as M23 rebels capture strategic town
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The rebel group, which Congo authorities accuse Rwanda of backing but Rwanda denies, seized the town of Kiwanja in eastern Congo on Saturday, effectively cutting North Kivu's capital Goma off from the upper half of the province. The army has conducted strategic retreats from populated areas to move fighting away from towns and protect civilians. Neither General Sylvain Ekenge, the army's national spokesman, nor Colonel Ndjike Kaiko, the army's spokesman for North Kivu, immediately responded to calls and messages requesting comment. Unrest in North Kivu has broken months of relative calm in eastern Congo after the resumption of clashes between the army and the M23 militants. read moreWhen it formed in 2012, M23 was the newest in a series of ethnic Tutsi-led insurgencies to rise up against Congolese forces.

☆ Cryptoverse: British pound fiasco boosts bitcoin's hedge appeal
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Lisa Pauline Mattackal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Oct 25 (Reuters) - As a developed nation, you know your currency's in a spot of bother when investors start to hedge with bitcoin. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"It was the first time we've seen such a huge increase in (bitcoin) volumes for the currency of a developed country," said Ed Hindi, chief investment officer at Tyr Capital. In fact, over the past month of market ructions, U.S. Treasuries have been equally or more volatile than bitcoin, according to Refinitiv data. The pound volumes echoed similar instances of investors jumping into bitcoin when fiat money came under pressure, including in Russia and Ukraine this year. Some crypto watchers say the September surge was nonetheless a reflection of bitcoin's enduring appeal as an asset outside mainstream finance.

☆ Bitcoin's volatility falls below Nasdaq and S&P 500's for first time since 2020
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

While bitcoin's price is stuck lately, there is one good thing to come from it for investors betting on crypto to become a legitimate asset class: It's less of a wild ride. After hovering in the $19,000 level for more than a month, bitcoin's volatility is now lower than that of both the Nasdaq and S&P 500, according to Kaiko. (Though bitcoin's correlation with stocks has eased, it remains high and its price continues to be driven by macro themes.) "Bitcoin volatility is at multi-year lows while equity volatility is only at its lowest level since July," Clara Medalie, head of research at Kaiko, told CNBC. The data suggests that cryptocurrency markets are less reactive to volatile macro events than they were earlier on in the year, whereas equity markets have remained highly sensitive."

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