DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ What the failures of Signature, SVB and Silvergate mean for the crypto sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In this article BTC.CM= Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTA man entering Signature Bank in New York City on March 12, 2023. ReutersA lot of crypto's problems in the last year originated in the stablecoin sector, beginning with TerraUSD's collapse last May. Now that it is clear that SVB depositors will be made whole, Carter tells CNBC that he expects USDC to trade at par. The Silvergate Exchange Network (SEN) and Signature's Signet were real-time payment platforms that crypto customers considered core offerings. Meanwhile, Circle has already publicly said that it is shifting is assets to BNY Mellon now that Signature bank is closing.

☆ More than $70 billion wiped off crypto market in 24 hours as bitcoin drops 8% below $20,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The cryptocurrency market saw more than $70 billion wiped off its value over the course of the 24 hours to 5:12 a.m. On Tuesday, U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell indicated that interest rates may go higher —and stay higher — than expected. The raising of interest rates over the past year has weighed on risk assets such as stocks, and in particular cryptocurrencies. Banking worriesAnother major factor weighing on crypto prices is the collapse of Silvergate Capital, a major lender to the crytpo industry. Providing traditional banking services while also funding tech projects, it is considered a backbone of the venture capital industry in the U.S.

☆ Instant View: Silvergate's planned liquidation fuels another crypto rout
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MARKET REACTION:Shares of crypto-related companies fell on Thursday, as the bank's collapse sparked a crisis of confidence in the industry. Silvergate shares were down 26% while peer Signature Bank (SBNY.O) and former Silvergate partner Coinbase Global Inc (COIN.O) fell 8% each. I think this could have significant implications for crypto regulations in the U.S. and banks' ability to deal with digital asset platforms and cryptocurrency brokerages." "One of the largest of these banks was Silvergate, which positioned itself as a crypto-friendly institution. Indeed, this pressure is making it increasingly challenging for crypto businesses and traders to operate within the United States."

☆ Silvergate's deepening crisis jolts crypto stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Manya Saini | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The crypto-focused bank said late on Friday that it had made a "risk-based decision" to discontinue the Silvergate Exchange Network (SEN) effective immediately. "The SEN is Silvergate's main flagship product that previously was the key attraction for depositors to bring funds to the bank," said analysts at Wedbush. Shares of crypto lending peer Signature Bank (SBNY.O) also fell roughly 2.5% in morning trade, while crypto exchange Coinbase Global (COIN.O) was down nearly 1%. Crypto firm Riot Platforms Inc (RIOT.O), and BTC mining machine makers Ebang International and Canaan Inc (CAN.O) drop between 1% and 2%. "The crypto market reacted to the negative news from Silvergate Bank, with both bitcoin and ethereum down about 4.8% for the week," analysts at brokerage Bernstein said.

☆ Responsible crypto firms need to put forward their expectations on regulations, says crypto exchange
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | 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 EmailResponsible crypto firms need to put forward their expectations on regulations, says crypto exchangeCaroline Bowler of BTC Markets says it's time for regulators around the world to "come to the table with the industry" and put together a "proportionate and appropriate" regulatory response.

☆ Crypto stocks fall as Silvergate crisis deepens
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 6 (Reuters) - Shares of cryptocurrency-related companies fell in premarket trading on Monday after Silvergate Capital Corp (SI.N) pulled the plug on its crypto payments network, following its doubts about keeping its business viable. The digital assets-focused bank said late on Friday that effective immediately it had made a "risk-based decision" to discontinue the Silvergate Exchange Network (SEN). Shares of the La Jolla, California-based bank were down more than 4% in premarket trading, while crypto lending peer Signature Bank (SBNY.O) fell 3%. Crypto exchange Coinbase Global (COIN.O) and BTC mining machine maker Ebang International were both down about 1% each. "The crypto market reacted to the negative news from Silvergate Bank, with both Bitcoin and Ethereum down ~4.8% for the week," analysts at brokerage Bernstein said in an industry note.

☆ The push for a bitcoin ETF is going to court. Here's what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Jesse Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The years-long push for an exchange traded fund that tracks bitcoin will finally get its day in court this week. Several different firms tried to bring a spot bitcoin ETF to market in the U.S. without success, but Grayscale Investments is taking it a step further for the future of its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) . The largest of those funds, the ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) , now has nearly $800 million in assets under management. Over the past year, the market price of a GBTC share has fallen by roughly 60%, according to Grayscale's website. Crypto winter The excitement around a bitcoin ETF has cooled considerably along with the prices for crypto markets in general.

☆ Coinbase, Gemini and other big crypto names have rushed to ditch Silvergate after the bank warned of building troubles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Zinya Salfiti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Crypto companies are cutting ties with Silvergate, once the go-to bank for digital currenciesThis comes after the crypto bank flagged doubts about its survival. Coinbase, Paxos Trust, Circle Internet Financial and Galaxy Digital Holdings all said Thursday they plan to suspend banking with Silvergate, as did the Winklevoss twins' Gemini. The exodus of crypto exchanges, stablecoin issuers and trading desks came after Silvergate flagged doubts about its future in business. Shares have fallen almost 95% in the past 12 months, as more than a dozen of its crypto firm customers shut down, were fined or came under investigation. Silvergate used to be the go-to bank for the biggest names in crypto, operating a key payments network used for real-time transfers between the firms.

☆ The crypto comeback: Here's what's driving it, according to Bernstein
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A flurry of factors have come together recently to spark a big comeback for crypto . Those gains come after a difficult 2022 for the crypto market. Bernstein analyst Gautam Chhugani said that recent regulatory actions may not be as bad as people think, helping push crypto prices upwards. Short covering occurs when a short seller buys back shares in order to close out an open short position — returning borrowed shares — in an attempt to limit losses. But there's more than just short covering — there's fresh buying going on which is forcing prices to squeeze up, the firm said.

☆ Bitcoin surges 11% despite U.S. crackdown, as crypto market gains $84 billion in value
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesCrypto markets rallied on Thursday, shrugging off a tougher regulatory stance from the U.S. government. The value of the entire cryptocurrency market rose more than $84.8 billion in the 24 hours before 3:39 a.m. Crypto markets were on edge earlier this week following increased regulatory scrutiny from U.S. authorities on digital currencies. On Monday, the New York State Department of Financial Services told Paxos to stop minting new Binance USD, or BUSD, stablecoins. A stablecoin is a type of cryptocurrency pegged to a real-world asset and some are backed by assets such as bonds or cash.

☆ Ceyhan loadings of BTC pipeline oil could begin within two days, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Summary Manual loadings while BTC control room repaired -officialKirkuk loadings resumed on TuesdayISTANBUL, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Turkey's Ceyhan port could resume loading oil from the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline in one or two days using "manual" procedures, a Turkish official and a shipping source said on Saturday. It is the storage and loading point for the BTC pipeline which carries oil from Azerbaijan as well as the Kirkuk pipeline from Iraq. The Kirkuk pipeline resumed flows on Tuesday evening and a tanker docked at Ceyhan to load that day. The control room for BTC pipeline loadings there was damaged, the Turkish official said, but added loadings were expected to resume "manually" while the control room is repaired. Loadings could begin within a day or two days, a shipping source said, quoting information received from the terminal.

☆ Azeri BTC crude loadings suspended at a major oil export hub in Turkey after earthquakes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Crude oil loadings from Turkey's Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan terminal in the Mediterranean have been suspended following a twin set of earthquakes that devastated Turkey and Syria on Monday, leaving over 9,000 dead. The BTC terminal loads Azeri BTC Blend crude, which is transported to the Ceyhan port through the BTC pipeline. A force majeure notice seen by CNBC — which removes contractual liability from exporters or producers for circumstances outside of their control — was issued on Tuesday evening. The BTC pipeline was not impacted by the earthquakes, the Botas International Company that operates its Turkish section said on Monday. The BTC crude oil loadings schedule that is typically published on the 8th of every month will be delayed, two trade sources said.

Companies Bp Azerbaijan FollowBp Plc FollowLONDON/BAKU, Feb 8 (Reuters) - BP Azerbaijan has declared force majeure on loadings of Azeri crude from the Turkish port of Ceyhan, after a series of earthquakes on Monday, the company said on Wednesday. The notice was issued to oil shippers following a temporary suspension of loading operations from the Ceyhan Marine Terminal (CMT), BP Azerbaijan spokeswoman Tamam Bayatly told Reuters by email. BP Azerbaijan operates the Azerbaijan and Georgia sections of the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline. Azerbaijan uses the Turkish port of Ceyhan as its main crude export hub, with a flow of about 650,000 barrels per day (bpd). The Iraqi crude pipeline to Turkey's Ceyhan oil export hub resumed flows on Tuesday evening and a tanker docked to load Iraqi crude at Ceyhan earlier in the day.

Brent crude futures were up $2.70, or 3.3%, to $83.69 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose $3.03, or 4.1%, to $77.14 per barrel. The U.S. dollar index fell after the data, raising oil prices. The BTC terminal, which exports Azeri crude oil to international markets, will be closed through Wednesday. Iraqi crude oil loadings from storage in Ceyhan were ready for resumption on Tuesday, but bad weather was preventing vessels from berthing, a trade source said. Iraq's crude oil pipeline to Turkey's Ceyhan port was still halted, the Kurdistan Regional Government's energy ministry said.

The U.S. dollar index fell after the data, raising oil prices. Forecasted stronger demand in China also lifted crude prices on Tuesday. The BTC terminal, which exports Azeri crude oil to international markets, will be closed on Feb. 6-8. Iraqi crude oil loadings from storage in Ceyhan were ready for resumption on Tuesday, but bad weather was preventing vessels from berthing, a trade source with direct knowledge said. Iraq's crude oil pipeline to Turkey's Ceyhan port was still halted, the Kurdistan Regional Government's energy ministry said.

☆ Oil rises on China outlook, supply worries after Turkey earthquake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Sudarshan Varadhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Crude prices are rising on expectations that China's recovery will take hold and on supply outages from the earthquake that devastated Turkey," said Edward Moya, analyst at OANDA. The International Energy Agency (IEA) expects half of this year's global oil demand growth to come from China, the agency's chief said on Sunday, adding that jet fuel demand was surging. Operations at Turkey's 1 million barrel per day (bpd) oil export terminal in Ceyhan were halted after a major earthquake hit the region. The BTC terminal, which exports Azeri crude oil to international markets, will be closed on Feb. 6-8. The oil markets will closely watch the U.S. Federal Reserve's chair Jerome Powell's speech on Wednesday, analysts said.

A massive earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria early on Monday had halted operations at Ceyhan and stopped key crude oil flows from Iraq and Azerbaijan. A trading source said the vessel was given the all clear to load Iraqi oil from storage. While Iraqi crude flows and exports have resumed, exports of Azeri crude were still stopped. The Azeri BTC pipeline was however still working and sending oil to storage in Ceyhan, two sources said. The Alfa Baltica and the Nordlotus tankers were waiting in the area for the Azeri crude BTC terminal at Ceyhan to reopen.

☆ Turkey’s Ceyhan oil port disrupted by weather as earthquake damage assessed
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Operations were interrupted at the Ceyhan oil port — a critical hub for the discharge of crude oil and oil products, along with the loading of Azeri crude and a stream of Iraqi crude oil — on Monday, following two earthquakes that devastated Turkey and Syria, leaving over 5,000 dead. It also exports volumes of two crude oil streams — the Azeri crude oil delivered through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) consortium's pipeline, and the Iraqi Kirkuk blend crude oil transferred through the separate Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline. Loadings of the two crude oil terminals are undertaken from two different points within Ceyhan port, with BTC crude oil leaving the BTC terminal, while the Kirkuk blend sails from the Botas terminal. An oil trade source familiar with KRG operations told CNBC that the pipeline could likely begin flows later Tuesday. An oil tanker ship is awaiting to berth to load Kirkuk blend crude.

☆ Oil rises 1% in choppy trade on China demand hopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Arathy Somasekhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The International Energy Agency (IEA) expects half of this year's global oil demand growth to come from China, the agency's chief said on Sunday, adding that jet fuel demand was surging. A stronger dollar typically reduces demand for dollar-denominated oil from buyers paying with other currencies. Supply concerns continued to affect markets as operations at Turkey's oil terminal in Ceyhan halted after a major earthquake hit the region. The BTC terminal, which exports Azeri crude oil to international markets, will be closed on Feb. 6-8 while operators assess earthquake damage, a Turkish shipping agent said. However, a preliminary Reuters poll showed that U.S. crude oil stockpiles likely rose by about 2.2 million last week.

☆ Bitcoin is overdue for a pause before bullish trend continues, says Wolfe Research
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

"Bitcoin is still trading at the deepest overbought condition in over two years," the firm's Rob Ginsberg said in a note this week. "Sometimes these extended overbought signals can be a sign of momentum, but our sense is that it's overdue for a brake check." Investor sentiment got a boost in January from lower inflation readings and optimism around the possibility the Federal Reserve will soon slow down its inflation-fighting rate hikes. After the Federal Reserve said the "disinflationary process has started" at the conclusion of its policy meeting, bitcoin rose again. "An overbought condition this extreme simply is unsustainable regardless of the security," he said.

☆ January was bitcoin's best month since 2021, but crypto isn't ready for a 'rocket ship rally' yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

For some investors, however, its strong month isn't necessarily a green light to jump back into the crypto market. As of Tuesday, bitcoin is set to finish the month up 38.39%, which would make it its best month since October 2021 and its best January in 10 years, according to Coin Metrics. Ether , which led the crypto recovery last summer ahead of the merge, has risen 31% this month, coming off a 67.06% decline for 2022. However, "we're not so sure bitcoin is ready for another rocket ship rally just yet." "Thus far, the rise in BTC dominance looks reminiscent of April 2019, during which a BTC rally marked a crypto market bottom, much akin to rising BTC dominance lately."

☆ Ponzi probe finds bankrupt crypto lender Celsius wasn't doing business the way it told customers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Celsius misled customers when it advertised its business model, a court-appointed examiner said. The crypto lender filed for bankruptcy in June as the market collapsed. Examiner Shoba Pillay said the lender was making the market for its CEL coin by buying it. Pillay said Celsius spent $558 million buying its own Celsius token on the market in a bid to prop up its flagging assets. "In effect, Celsius bought every CEL token in the market at least one time and in some instances, twice," Pillay wrote.

☆ Bitcoin is headed for its best start to the year since 2013 as risk appetite grows ahead of expected smaller Fed rate hike
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The rally comes ahead of expected smaller rate hikes from the Federal Reserve next week. The rally seems driven by the belief that the Federal Reserve will ease back further on aggressive rate hikes following signs of cooling inflation. "More measured rate hikes globally tilting to stability will reduce the headwinds as BTC edges towards fresh heights. Matrixport's Thielen said supporting the rally is a "clear signal" that US institutions are buying up bitcoin right now. "Institutions are not only buying bitcoin spot; rather, we are also seeing consistently high premiums for perpetual futures," Thielen said.

☆ Chart analyst Katie Stockton says she remains skeptical of bitcoin's 2023 rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Katie Stockton, founder of Fairlead Strategies, said Tuesday that bitcoin's rally in the new year doesn't look sustainable. "The positive development is that it has rallied enough to give folks an exit," Stockton said on CNBC's "Squawk Box." BTC.CB= 1Y mountain Bitcoin Stockton said a slow grind higher would be more bullish for bitcoin and other altcoins. "So we're skeptical as to the sustainability of this rally, which we are still viewing as countertrend," Stockton said. Meanwhile, the chart analyst said there are oversold conditions in place, but they've been in place for many months now.

☆ Crypto comeback is just a 'mean-reversion' rally, Bernstein says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

That's one observation about the current crypto bounce Bernstein analysts made in a note to investors Monday. They called it a mean-reversion rally, meaning that they see bitcoin prices reverting to their long-term mean or average level. "We reckon, the mean reversion of crypto still has some headroom," analyst Gautam Chhugani said in the note. BTC.CM= 6M mountain Bitcoin Nevertheless, Chhugani attributed the recent bounce to capital already within the crypto industry, namely "sidelined stablecoins" being deployed. As the crypto asset class becomes "more regulated," Chhugani expects to see institutions take crypto positions this year, he said.

Search resuls for: "BTC"

25 mentions found