🚨Former Minnesota Vikings Co-Owner Slapped With 75 Month Jail Term for Processing $750M Worth of Crypto Transactions

🔴The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced on June 5 that Reginald Fowler, the former co-owner of Minnesota Vikings, has been sentenced to 75 months in prison “for arranging to process more than 💵 $700 million of unregulated transactions” on behalf of cryptocurrency exchanges.

👉As per a statement issued by U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, Fowler was also punished for misrepresenting the true nature of his business and for lying about his net worth. Detailing Fowler’s alleged criminal activities which also threatened the country’s financial system.

Concerning Fowler’s reported acquisition of a significant stake in the American football league, the statement claimed that the former co-owner of the 👀Minnesota Vikings had “falsely claimed personal ownership of GTS funds that, in fact, belonged to clients of his illegal money transmission service.”

✅In addition, U.S. attorneys also accused Fowler of failing to disclose to the AAF the seizure of GTS funds by the government just before his investment in the league.

🪙Singapore's Crypto to Halt US Institutional Division Citing ‘Limited Demand’

🇸🇬Crypto, the Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange with 80 million customers worldwide, announced on Friday that it will cease its institutional offering in the United States.

✅ News, emphasized that Crypto’s retail clients need not worry, as the firm’s retail services are completely unaffected by the transition.

🔥 A spokesperson from Crypto spoke to ESPN and assured the media firm’s staff reporter, Dave McMenamin, that the recent decision would not impact the naming rights for Crypto Arena in Los Angeles.

Crypto emphasized the potential for its U.S. institutional division to make a comeback. The day before, the company forged a 🤝partnership with Coinroutes to “enhance institutional access to liquidity within the digital assets market.” Prior to that, Crypto obtained a major payment institution license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

🇺🇸Majority of Americans Hesitant to Embrace Central Bank Digital Currency, Survey Finds

📣 A recent poll conducted by the Cato Institute and public opinion firm Yougov reveals that the majority of Americans are hesitant to adopt a central bank digital currency (CBDC). The findings indicate that support for a CBDC remains relatively low among survey respondents.

👏 From February 27 to March 8, 2023, they polled 2,126 individuals, inquiring about their stance on a CBDC under various circumstances.

💭 In general, as far as a CBDC with no set criteria, 34% of Americans oppose the U.S. central bank launching a CBDC and 16% favor the idea. Interestingly, nearly half of those surveyed (49%) did not have a clear opinion on the matter, which may be due to a lack of familiarity with the concept; in fact, 72% of respondents admitted to being unfamiliar with CBDCs.

❌ Looking ahead, only 22% of those polled believe that an American CBDC is likely to launch, while the majority (78%) do not anticipate such a development.

❕According to the survey, the most attractive aspect of a CBDC was its purported ability to combat money laundering and financial crime.

⚠️ Bitcoin, Ethereum Technical Analysis: BTC, ETH Rebound on Friday, as Markets Digest US Retail Sales Data

🟢 Bitcoin rose back above $25,000 on Friday, as markets continued to digest recent U.S. economic data. Yesterday saw retail sales climb higher than expected, rising by 0.3% in May, better than a projected decline of 0.1%. Ethereum moved closer to the $1,700 level.

🪙 Bitcoin chart by TradingView

🌟 Despite today’s $1,000 jump in price, the relative strength index (RSI) still remains below a resistance of its own at 42.00

🌟 Ethereum (ETH) made relative gains in today’s session, as the cryptocurrency moved back towards the $1,700 level. ETH/USD reached a high of $1,676.41 on Friday, less than 24 hours after nearing a breakout below $1,600.

🔷 Ethereum chart by TradingView

🌟 Similar to BTC above, price strength has since climbed, and is currently at a reading of 33.39, which is still bearish.

🌟Traders will likely look to March, which is the last time the index tracked at this mark, shortly before prices went on to climb over $500 higher.

🪙 Bitcoin Technical Analysis: BTC Consolidates on Monday, After Recovering Recent Losses

➡️Bitcoin consolidated Monday, after recovering recent losses over the weekend, setting the stage for a potential rally this coming week. Price traded close to a one-week high on Monday, marginally below a key resistance level. Ethereum also rebounded, and is now hovering near a support point of its own.

⚙️ After dropping to a three-month low last week, bitcoin (BTC) has since rebounded, trading close to a one-week high on Monday while seeing consolidation.

⚡️BTC/USD hit an intraday peak of $26,675.93 to start the week, which is its strongest point since June 11.

🔴The move pushed price close to a key resistance level of $26,800, which is typically the last line of defense before heading to $27,000.

🔩 Bitcoin, Ethereum Technical Analysis: BTC Above $30,000, ETH Hits $1,900 Following Moving Average ‘Death Cross’

📌 Bitcoin extended recent gains on Thursday, climbing above the $30,000 level for the first time since April, and ahead of Fed Chair Powell’s testimony today. The move also came following a death cross of moving averages, which prompted bulls to intensify buying pressure. Ethereum moved to a multi-month high.

⚫️Bitcoin moved above the $30,000 level in today’s session, ahead of a testimony by the chair of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell.

⚫️Powell will be speaking today for the first time since the Fed’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged in June.

⚫️This is the strongest point that bitcoin has hit since April 14, when price reached a top at $31,050.

⚫️Another major catalyst for the move was a crossover of moving averages (MA), with the 10-day (red) MA, moving above its 25-day (blue) counterpart.

⚫️In addition to this, the relative strength index (RSI) has also marginally broken out of a ceiling at 70.00, and is now tracking at 70.88.

⚫️Additionally, ethereum (ETH) also made significant gains on Thursday, rising above $1,900 in the process.

⚫️Following a low at $1,812.37 on Wednesday, ETH/USD surged to an intraday high of $1,932.07 earlier in today’s session.

⚫️This was the highest level that ethereum had hit since May 6, which is the last time price was over $2,000.

⚫️Today’s rally also pushed the RSI to a resistance level at 61.00, a point that it has so far been unable to move past.

🇬🇧Study Shows Bank of England’s Rising Interest Rates Threaten 1.2 Million UK Households With Insolvency

🔥 The Bank of England made an impactful move last Thursday, June 22, 2023, as it raised the benchmark bank rate to 5%, marking a significant 0.5 percentage point increase.

🌟 This decision catapults the central bank’s rate to its highest level since 2008 and represents the most substantial surge in three months.

➡️ Coinciding with this development, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) published a study on the same day, asserting that the escalated interest rates would translate into elevated mortgage payments, potentially pushing 1.2 million households in the U.K. towards insolvency in 2023.

🟢 Bitcoin, Ethereum Technical Analysis: BTC Consolidates Below $31,000 Following Prime Trust Liquidation

👉 After briefly rising above $31,000, bitcoin consolidated on Wednesday, as bulls moved to secure recent gains. The uncertainty came as crypto custodian Prime Trust entered receivership, after being found to be illiquid by authorities. Ethereum also declined, once again falling below $1,900.

🪙 Bitcoin (BTC) consolidated on Wednesday, as traders opted to secure profits following a recent bull run.

🔼 BTC/USD broke out of a key resistance level at $30,800 on Tuesday, on its way to a peak at $31,006.79 late in yesterday’s session. However, take profit orders seemed to have been triggered, with bitcoin dropping to an intraday low of $30,169.78 today.

🔷Additionally, ethereum (ETH) also edged lower on Wednesday, with price once again falling under the $1,900 mark.

🔽 After Tuesday’s peak at the $1,911.31 mark, ETH/USD slipped to a bottom at $1,850.87 earlier in today’s session. This low has acted as an interim point of support for previous bulls, who typically go on to push prices higher from this level.

🌟 Biggest Movers: LTC Leaps to 15-Month Peak as DOGE Bull Run Continues

⚡️ After climbing by over 20% on Friday, litecoin extended gains to start the weekend, surging to its highest point in over a year. The move comes as momentum surrounding the token’s listing on EDX markets continues to grow. Dogecoin also recorded a strong start to the day.

⚫️ Litecoin (LTC) was once again a big mover in cryptocurrency markets, as the token rallied to a multi-month high.

🟡 Following a low of $91.73 during Friday’s session, LTC/USD raced to an intraday high of $111.76 earlier today.

🟣 As a result of the rally, litecoin peaked at its strongest point since April 7 last year, when price reached a top at $116.00.

🔘 This time at the 68.00 level, with price strengt peaking at 73.91 to start the weekend, which is its highest point since January.

🔴 Litecoin has since gone on to retreat from today’s high, and as of writing, is trading at $110.17.

⚫️ Another notable gainer on Saturday was dogecoin (DOGE), which climbed to a three-week high to start the weekend.

🟡 DOGE/USD jumped to a peak of $0.07079 earlier in the day, less than 24 hours after falling to $0.06264.

🟣 The move saw the world’s largest meme coin jump nearly 5% higher, hitting its highest level since June 10 in the process.

🔘 DOGE is now trading at $0.06835, with the RSI hovering around the 56.00 mark, which is marginally above a ceiling at 55.00.

💰 Coinbase Shares Skyrocket Over 30% After Nasdaq and Cboe Amend Bitcoin ETF Applications

👍 During the initial half of 2023, Coinbase shares experienced a significant surge, rocketing over 30% this week as Nasdaq and Cboe refiled spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) applications on behalf of numerous fund managers. The revisions highlighted that, upon ETF approval, Coinbase has been asked to serve as a surveillance-sharing agreement (SSA) collaborator.

➡️ Coinbase (Nasdaq: COIN) observed a 30.82% increase in its shares throughout the past week, and six-month data reveals that COIN has jumped 131% against the U.S. dollar.

💲 On September 30, 2021, COIN’s value was $319 per share; currently, it stands at $79.93.

⚠️ The San Francisco-based crypto exchange is concurrently contending with a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

➡️ While COIN has thrived this week against the greenback, multiple other publicly traded companies experienced rising stock prices following the crypto market’s recent surge.

👑 Multichain Woes: Users Informed of an ‘Abnormal’ Transfer of Assets to Unknown Address

➡️ Users of the cross-chain protocol Multichain were on July 6 informed of an abnormal transfer of lockup assets on the Multichain MPC address to an unknown address. While the Multichain team has urged users to stop using the cross-chain protocol, Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) told his followers that the incident does not affect Binance users or the exchange itself.

👉 Just over a month after the disappearance of the Multichain CEO known only as Zhaojun sent shockwaves through the crypto community, users of the cross-chain protocol were on July 6 informed of an abnormal transfer of “lockup assets to an unknown address.”

🆘 Reacting to Multichain’s tweet, Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) told his followers that the “hacking” incident does not affect users on Binance or the cryptocurrency exchange itself. He added:

⚫️ We have swapped all assets out and closed deposits a while back. Regardless, we offer our assistance in helping with the situation.

📣 While the Binance CEO has characterized the transfer lockup assets on the Multichain MPC address as hacking, a Twitter user going by the name Oxloki said their analysis suggests that the attacker may not be a hacker.

💎 Meanwhile, in a notice shared via Twitter, Kyber Network, a blockchain-based liquidity hub, urged users to “revoke all permissions and not use any Multichain service.”

🪙 Bitcoin, Ethereum Technical Analysis: BTC Remains Near $30,000, as Traders Prepare for Key US Economic Data

➡️ After a recent slip, bitcoin moved back above $30,000 on Monday, ahead of a key week of U.S. economic data, with the headline being the inflation report. Inflation is expected to drop to 3.1% in June, which would be a nearly two-year low. Ethereum also slipped on Monday, remaining below $1,900.

⚫️Bitcoin (BTC) started the week trading near the $30,000 level, after the price dropped below this point over the weekend.

➡️ Following a low of $29,985.39 on Sunday, BTC/USD jumped to an intraday high of $30,427.59 in today’s session.

🟡The rebound comes as bears rejected a breakout below a recent support point at the $29,900 level.

🕯 Bitcoin, Ethereum Technical Analysis: Bitcoin Consolidates Below $31,000, as Traders Digest Recent Economic Data

🪙 Bitcoin retreated from recent gains on Thursday, as traders were unable to sustain a breakout of a key resistance level. Market volatility has risen following yesterday’s U.S. inflation report, which dropped to a two-year low. Ethereum was marginally lower, slipping below $1,900.

📊 Bitcoin (BTC) consolidated below the $31,000 level in today’s session, as traders continued to digest the latest inflation report.

🔽 BTC/USD dropped to an intraday low of $30,228.84 earlier in today’s session, a day after peaking at $30,959.97. The drop came as bulls were unable to sustain a breakout above a key resistance level at the $30,800 zone.

🔷 After a brief stint above $1,900, ethereum (ETH) also moved lower on Thursday, with a moving average crossover close to occurring.

📉 Following a high of $1,901.15 on Wednesday, ETH/USD fell to a bottom at $1,864.50 earlier in today’s session.

⚫️ Similar to BTC, this drop came as ethereum fell below a recent resistance level of $1,890, and towards a floor at $1,850.

💩 Judge Criticizes SEC Approval of Coinbase IPO in Pre-Motion Conference

➡️Southern District of New York judge Katherine P. Failla called to attention the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) approval of Coinbase’s Initial Public Offering (IPO), hinting that the agency could have been more thorough. Failla expressed skepticism about the SEC’s posture that approving the Coinbase S-1 form to go public meant “nothing,” stating that the commission could have called out Coinbase’s behavior.

⚫️ During the pre-motion conference of the case, which took place on July 13, Failla was curious about the SEC approval of the S-1 form from Coinbase, which described its business model to the commission to be listed in public markets.

💬 Mancuso stated that there was “no way” that approval of an S-1 constituted a “blessing of a company’s entire business.”

❌ The approval of Coinbase’s public offering came up again further along in the discussion, with Sullivan & Cromwell’s Steven Peikin blasting the commission’s stance.

🪙 Bitcoin Technical Analysis: BTC Moves Below $30,000, Following Latest US Retail Sales Report

➡️ Bitcoin slipped below the $30,000 mark on Wednesday, as markets continued to react to the latest U.S. retail sales report. Sales rose by 0.2% last month, which is more than the 0.5% sum many had forecasted. Ethereum has remained resilient, climbing back above $1,900.

⚫️ Bitcoin (BTC) slipped below $30,000 on Wednesday, following the latest retail sales data from the United States.

⚫️ After climbing to a peak of $30,184.18 on Tuesday, BTC/USD dropped to an intraday low of $29,556.43 earlier today.

⚫️ The decline came in the midst of a five-day win-less run, which occurred soon after last week’s move close to $32,000.

🇳🇬 Nigerian Currency Plunges to All-Time Low Versus Dollar, Central Bank Revokes Licenses of 2,700 Currency Exchanges

🔽 The exchange rate of the Nigerian currency versus the greenback recently plunged to an all-time low of NGN860:USD1. The naira’s depreciation has been attributed to shortages of foreign exchange on the official market and the rising demand for forex. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said it has revoked the licenses of nearly 2,700 bureaux de change (currency exchanges).

♾ On July 20, the Nigerian currency reportedly hit a new low of NGN860 per dollar on the parallel market.

🏦 According to a Reuters report, the currency’s plunge followed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s decision to float the naira, which was made shortly after Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s inauguration as the Nigerian president.

😬 However, the shortage of dollars in the formal market coupled with the rising demand for forex has increased pressure on the naira.

❌ Meanwhile, in an attempt to halt the currency’s slide, the CBN reportedly announced on July 20 that it had revoked the licenses of 2,698 bureaux de change.

🪙 Rare 2010 Bitcoin Block Reward Stirs After 13 Years of Dormancy

➡️ On July 24, 2023, a block reward from 2010 was transferred for the first time in 13 years, marking this month’s first expenditure of dormant bitcoin from that year. So far this year, a total of nine such block rewards from the 2010 era have been spent, resulting in the transfer of 450 bitcoins.

⚫️ According to btcparser, a rare 2010 block reward was spent on Monday, transferring 50 bitcoins to an unidentified address.

⚫️The funds were transferred to a specific bitcoin address and moved on from there. Blockchair’s privacy tool indicated that the transfer scored a 5 out of 100 on privacy, citing three issues, and it labeled the privacy level as “low.”

⚫️The 2010 block reward transfer on Monday marked the ninth such expenditure this year, with the most recent previous transactions from this era occurring on June 26.

⚫️Thus far in 2023, a total of nine 2010 block reward transfers have occurred, but only eight of these were from virgin, dormant bitcoin rewards.

🇺🇸 US House Financial Services Committee Passes Stablecoin Legislation ‘After a Few Fireworks’

⚡️ The U.S. House Financial Services Committee has passed Chairman Patrick McHenry’s Clarity for Payment Stablecoins Act with bipartisan support. McHenry said committee members, unlike the White House, understood the urgency and importance of providing clarity for payment stablecoins. Sheila Warren, the CEO of the Crypto Council for Innovation, described the bill’s passage as the “first steps toward a legislative foundation for stablecoins in the U.S.”

🌟 After holding negotiations for fifteen months, the U.S. House Financial Services Committee passed the Clarity for Payment Stablecoins Act on July 27 with bipartisan support.

🌟 Confirmation of the bill’s passage came after an eventful day which at one point saw McHenry blast the White House for frustrating the committee’s hopes of reaching a bipartisan agreement.

🔩 The Republican also commended the New York Department of Financial Services superintendent Adrienne Harris for what he described as “her invaluable contributions.”

👉 Following the bill’s passage, Sheila Warren, the CEO of the Crypto Council for Innovation, described this as the “first steps toward a legislative foundation for stablecoins in the U.S.”

⚫️ The CEO, like fellow crypto proponents who have been calling on the U.S. to take the lead in establishing clear rules for the industry, also highlighted how a regulatory regime can foster innovation and as well as “provide critical protections for consumers.”