Bitcoin (BTC) popularised the term blockchain. Blockchains, or “decentralized and distributed digital ledgers used to record transactions across a network of computers,” have been around for over thirty years, the household name for a blockchain is Bitcoin. That’s despite the fact that the Genesis block was mined well over 14 years ago when George W. Bush was president and “I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas topped the charts–Bitcoin is still top of the blocks. It’s to be expected, then, that most blockchain advocates would have used, understood or a the very least experimented with Bitcoin. Nope. Not so. Here’s …

Bitcoin (BTC) erased early-month gains on March 2 as fresh market uncertainty erupted over solvency of crypto bank Silvergate. BTC price avoids Silvergate, Coinbase stock slip Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD hitting $23,206 on Bitstamp, down around 1.5% on the day. The pair came under pressure as rumors swirled over the fate of Silvergate, which lost United States exchange Coinbase as a client in a decision the latter said came out of "an abundance of caution." Silvergate had suffered as a result of the FTX implosion, delaying its 10-K report this week and warning that it …

Xapo Bank, an international private bank headquartered in Gibraltar, integrates the Lightning Network to improve its Bitcoin (BTC) capabilities. On March 2, Xapo officially announced a partnership with the Lightning Network infrastructure platform Lightspark, which allowed the firm to implement Lightning on its platform. The integration enables faster and cheaper transactions on Xapo, reducing blockchain confirmation waiting times and transaction fees on the original Bitcoin network. According to the firm, Xapo Bank members will now be able to instantly pay for small purchases of up to $100 at any vendor accepting Lightning payments. High-volume transactions are initially not supported with …

Before setting a financial goal, it’s important to have a clear understanding of your current financial situation, including income, debt, expenses and assets. Once you have a clear understanding of your current financial situation, you can start setting financial goals that align with your values and priorities. Here are six steps to set and achieve your financial goals. Define your financial goals Set both short- and long-term financial goals as your first step. Your objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART). One’s short-term objectives might be, for instance, saving $500 for an emergency fund or paying off …

In Cointelegraph Markets Pro’s latest VORTECS™ Report, the institutional-grade crypto trading platform displayed how its members could have captured a cumulative 223% gain by following five trades based on three different Markets Pro indicators. The report depicts trading alerts generated between February 12 – 18, 2023. The potential gains available to Cointelegraph Markets Pro subscribers significantly outperform a simple buy-and-hold strategy during the same period, which would’ve yielded a maximum return of 13% for Bitcoin (BTC) and 12% for Ethereum (ETH). Cointelegraph Markets Pro used the VORTECS™ Score, NewsQuakes™ and Tweet Volume indicators to alert subscribers of these price changes …

Bitcoin (BTC) is up 42% since the start of 2023, but short term, the outlook may now favor the bears. The latest data paints a problematic picture for BTC price action — investors are greedy, but the mainstream is far from ready to buy. After January’s 40% surge, BTC/USD is having trouble reaching for resistance higher up the chart. As Cointelegraph reported, the pair spent the whole of February simply consolidating its prior gains, making it likely the least volatile month on record. Judging by current moves, however, that consolidatory phase may soon be over — but not work out …

Hardware cryptocurrency wallet provider Trezor has warned its users about a new phishing attack targeting their crypto investments by trying to steal their private keys. Trezor took to Twitter on Feb. 28 to caution users about an active phishing attack designed to steal investors’ money by making them enter the wallet’s recovery phrase on a fake Trezor website. The phishing campaign involves attackers posing as Trezor and contacting victims via phone calls, texts or emails claiming that there has been a security breach or suspicious activity on their Trezor account. “Trezor Suite has recently endured a security breach, assume all …

Donations made in cryptocurrencies are proving to be a fast and far-reaching means of providing financial aid during times of crisis, according to multiple industry players. This has proven to be the case after devastating earthquakes hit parts of Turkey and Syria in February. Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis estimates that around $5.9 million of donations have been made to support relief efforts in the region in the month since the natural disaster took place. The likes of Turkey’s Ministry of Interior Earthquake Humanitarian Aid campaign, Turkish Red Crescent, Save the Children and Project Hope have received cryptocurrency-based donations. In addition, …

Bitcoin (BTC) bulls laid most of their options at $24,500 and higher for the March 3 options expiry, and given the recent bullishness seen from BTC, who can blame them? On Feb. 21, Bitcoin price briefly traded above $25,200, reflecting an 18% gain in eight days. Unfortunately, regulatory pressure on the crypto sector increased and despite no effective measures being announced, investors are still wary and reactive to remarks from policymakers. For instance, on Feb. 23, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler claimed that "everything other than Bitcoin" falls under the agency's jurisdiction. Gensler noted that most crypto …

Bitcoin (BTC) was marginally positive in February even though the S&P 500 index (SPX) fell by 2.61%. On the first day of March, Bitcoin has started on a positive note while the United States equities markets are struggling. This shows that Bitcoin is trying to decouple from the U.S. equities markets. A positive sign is that retail traders seem to have made the most of the crypto bear market. Instead of panicking and selling their holdings, traders have purchased at lower levels. Glassnode data shows that wallets holding at least one Bitcoin have consistently risen and are nearing the 1 …

Bitcoin (BTC) moved just 0.03% last month in U.S. dollar terms, making February 2023 likely its least volatile in history. Data from Coinglass from after the monthly close confirms that BTC/USD went practically nowhere for four weeks straight. Bitcoin monthly candle barely leaves a trace To say that Bitcoin is less volatile than it was is something of an understatement when it comes to February. Despite its ups and downs, mostly due to macroeconomic data, BTC price action finished the month almost exactly where it began at around $23,500. That means that Bitcoin was more stable than a raft of …

Opportunity cost, explained Opportunity cost is a concept in economics that refers to the value of the next best alternative that is forgone when making a choice — i.e., the cost of the best alternative that is not chosen. Consider the scenario when you have a limited budget and are debating between buying a new laptop or going on vacation. The value of the vacation you could have taken with the same amount of money would be the opportunity cost if you decide to buy the laptop. Similarly, if you decide to take the vacation, the opportunity cost would be …