Bitcoin (BTC) NFTs will have a positive impact on Bitcoin ecosystem by improving its security and incentivizing developers to build on the network, according to independent developer Udi Wertheimer. The number of newly created Ordinals, also referred to as "inscriptions", have been spiking in recent weeks, causing a surge in transaction fees and average block size on the Bitcoin blockchain. According to Wertheimer, Bitcoin NFTs are going to be beneficial for Bitcoin's security budget: by driving up transaction fees, the creation of Ordinals will incentivize miners to secure the network while the revenue from mining reward will be decreasing with …

Proposed laws in Israel that would see cryptocurrencies classified as securities would cause huge damage to the local crypto industry, according to the chief of an Israeli crypto service provider. Cointelegraph Magazine editor, Andrew Fenton, spoke with Ilan Sterk, the CEO of Altshuler Shaham Horizon in Tel Aviv, Israel. The firm provides cryptocurrency custody and trading services and is one of the few firms in the country having the approval to deal with banks. “It's quite complicated,” Sterk said of the current legal situation for crypto in Israel. He explained the current proposal is to have digital assets under the …

Crypto companies tightened their purse strings in the first month of 2023, with at least 2,900 crypto staff cut loose across 14 crypto firms in January. The latest firm to reportedly initiate a layoff is the crypto infrastructure provider Prime Trust which reduced its employee count by a third according to reports. The reduction would equate to an estimated 100 or so staff cut as Prime had 312 employees on LinkedIn at the time of writing. Other recent cuts over the last few days include 30 staff from the crypto platform Matrixport being let go according to a Jan. 27 …

Northern Data AG, a German company that specializes in Bitcoin mining and cloud computing, released its December 2022 results for its mining division. According to Northern Data AG, in the fiscal year 2022, it mined a total of 2,798 BTC, a significant increase of 315% compared to the previous year. This led to BTC mining revenues of EUR 77.7 million in the fiscal year 2022. The average sale price of the 3,005 BTC mined and sold in 2022 was EUR 23,849, contributing to a cash revenue of EUR 71.7 million. The data released by Northern Data also indicated that it …

Despite the ongoing bear market, Jan3 CEO and Bitcoin (BTC) proponent Samson Mow believes that the leading cryptocurrency could reach the $1-million-price benchmark in the next five to 10 years. The collapse of major fiat currencies will be a major catalyst, which he said can “happen very rapidly” and “are not anticipated.” ”It just sort of happens overnight, and then you are shoveling cash into a wheelbarrow,” he said in a recent interview with Cointelegraph. Mow made his prediction while commenting on the current state of Bitcoin adoption in El Salvador, about a year after it was adopted as a …

Ripple’s APAC Policy Director has described the fall of FTX as “incredibly damaging” for the crypto space, but says the industry should stand the test of time if its focus shifts towards building “real utility.” In a statement sent to Cointelegraph, Ripple’s APAC policy lead Rahul Advani said he expects the FTX saga to lead to greater scrutiny on crypto regulations, while governments will re-evaluate “their stance towards crypto and blockchain technology,” adding: “The collapse of FTX is incredibly damaging for the crypto space and once again underscores the need for greater regulatory clarity.” Advani argued that the industry will …

Prolific podcaster and cryptocurrency investor Anthony Pompliano has not lost faith in people or the crypto industry despite the disappointing conduct of former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried. Bankman-Fried, once widely regarded as crypto’s “white knight” is now a pariah in the crypto industry due to — by his own admission — the “careless” mishandling of FTX customer funds and his ongoing strange behavior on Twitter. Appearing on Nov. 17 at the Texas Blockchain Summit, Pompliano was asked about how to ensure high-quality representation “in the halls of power,” responding that market forces eliminate bad people as quickly as bad businesses: …

The crypto and tech industry has seen a slew of staff cuts this week against a backdrop of difficult market conditions, though on a positive note some are bucking the trend. Crypto companies, including crypto exchanges, venture capital firms, and blockchain developers, have been forced to reduce headcount in order to stay nimble amid the down markets. Some, however, have done the opposite, opening up offices in new locations and markets. It comes a few weeks after multiple high-level executives, such as OpenSea’s former CFO, Kraken's co-founder Jesse Powell, and Ripple Labs’ engineering director, have all made headlines for either …

As the all-time highs from the last two-year bull market dissipate and it seems like a new bear market is settling in, only those talented individuals with strong convictions can find the motivation to devote themselves full-time to Web3, blockchain and crypto. During the good years of a crypto market on the rise, many curious professionals with an interest in disruptive tech have flirted with the idea of working for startups in the space. Demand for talent usually outpaces the supply, as there is a limited amount of people with the experience required to navigate this fast-paced industry and willing …

The sponsorship of high-profile sports and teams may be key to legitimizing the crypto industry to the general masses, according to Luke Ryan, Head of Content at Australian crypto exchange CoinJar. In May 2021, the exchange became the first crypto company in Australia to sponsor an Australian Football League (AFL) club by partnering with the Melbourne Demons. Speaking to Cointelegraph at the Australian Crypto Convention on Sept. 18, Ryan remarked the AFL partnership changed the discussion around cryptocurrency in the country and that “it gives cryptocurrency a bigger sense of permanence.” “Perhaps prior to this real punch into the sporting …

2022 has been an exceptionally rough year for the crypto market, and the last few months of Bitcoin’s (BTC) price action could be a sign that bears aren’t even close to being ready to let up. Crumbling crypto prices also equate to diminishing profits for Bitcoin miners and this week’s regulatory action by the United States lawmakers requesting energy consumption data from four major BTC mining companies is bound to exert a bit more pressure on an already fragile situation. Despite the increasingly bearish climate, most of the Bitcoin miners Cointelegraph has spoken to are incredibly optimistic about Bitcoin’s short …

Human rights activists from 20 countries have submitted an open letter to the United States Congress in support of a “responsible crypto policy” and praising Bitcoin (BTC) and stablecoins as essential tools aiding democracy and freedom for tens of millions. The letter comes just a week after an anti-crypto open letter was sent to Congress, purporting to be from the scientific community but whose lead signatures included well-known crypto critics and authors from high-income, democratic countries. The group of 21 activists clapping back includes people from countries that have either seen recent conflict or have otherwise unstable economies such as …