A branch of the Russian federal government has recently published a draft of new litigation called “On Digital Financial Assets,” which is focused on enforcing strict cryptocurrency laws in the country. The legislation has not been approved yet and has been in discussion since 2018. The new laws define Bitcoin as property but not legal tender, and propose, among many other things, that Bitcoin (BTC) miners register as individual companies so they can be appropriately taxed. President Putin is planning on developing and revealing a new tax for Bitcoin miners by July 1, but many are skeptical about the government’s …
Some entrepreneurs have been trying to increase data privacy by combining encryption and blockchain technology. There are projects like Oasis Labs and Enigma that focus entirely on preserving users’ privacy. Meanwhile, others have been focusing on preventing data retention by companies. Thus, there is no way to guarantee that personal data is deleted in a company’s data system. Blockchain technology’s reliable consensus ensures that people’s data is used correctly. Protection against software and hardware attacks Companies like Oasis Labs, which designed the Ekiden system, run smart contracts outside the blockchain within a Trusted Execution Environment, or TEE, node to enable …
The Texas securities regulator has continued its crackdown on cryptocurrency scams, spotting an alleged fraudulent crypto firm that made fake claims about COVID-19 donations. On April 8, the Texas State Securities Board (TSSB) issued an emergency cease and desist order against Ultra Mining, alleging that the crypto mining firm is involved in diverse illicit activities including purportedly fraudulent claims to double investors’ money. As specified in an official TSSB notice, the Texas action was brought jointly with the Alabama Securities Commission to stop the ongoing illegal offering. According to the order, Ultra Mining is promising some “eye-opening returns.” As such, …
California Governor Gavin Newsom warned the public against Bitcoin (BTC) fraudsters during his live speech about the coronavirus outbreak. On March 26, Newsom mentioned the leading cryptocurrency as part of his official speech about what measures had been taken by the state to prevent the further spread of the virus in California. Newsom went on raising the public’s awareness and understanding that “extraordinary people, who do extraordinary bad things,” are apparently taking advantage of the pandemic, and further explained: “That doesn’t just include an interface with the government, but people claiming that we need to send the equivalent of Bitcoin …
The U.S. Federal Reserve injected $168 billion into finance several days ago, which correlates to Bitcoin’s current falling price. “So long as the broader markets keep falling – expect the same out of Bitcoin,” Bill Herrmann, CEO of alternative investment firm Wilshire Phoenix told Cointelegraph as part of an explanation of the Fed’s recent actions. What’s going on in the market? Traditional markets have plummeted recently surrounding coronavirus fears and oil trade wars. After several previous red days, the Dow Industrial Average (DJI) fell 10% on March 12, concluding the most disastrous day U.S. markets have seen since the Black …