A Bitcoin Lightning Network node (BTC) has struck the earth in one of the most challenging operating environments. Lagos, the capital of Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria, welcomed a new Bitcoin Lightning node this week, a vital step to better connect the continent to the layer-2 payments network atop Bitcoin, the Lightning Network (LN). The node runs on an old laptop powered by a diesel generator as Lagos regularly experiences energy and electricity blackouts. In a discussion with Cointelegraph, Megasley, who is the first Nigerian Lightning node of 2023 and the first active Lightning node in the country (as other …

Cryptocurrency exchange Bitvavo, a major creditor of the troubled crypto company Digital Currency Group (DCG), has dismissed DCG’s proposal of partial debt repayment. Bitvavo officially announced on Jan. 11 that the firm received a counter proposal from DCG offering to repay about 70% of the outstanding amount in a term acceptable to Bitvavo. The remaining balance amount is still under negotiation with DCG as it is only ready to repay part of the debt within a term acceptable for Bitvavo, the exchange said, adding: “As creditors, we do not find the latter acceptable because DCG has sufficient resources available for …

When the new licensing program that is scheduled to take off in June arrives, retail traders in Hong Kong will be limited to “highly-liquid” digital assets, according to the new CEO of Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), Julia Leung Fung-yee. At the recent Asia Financial Forum, Leung reportedly pointed out that many digital asset platforms have thousands of products. However, the SFC executive highlighted that they are not planning to "allow retail investors to trade in all of them." Instead, the SFC will set up a criteria that allow retail traders to only trade major virtual assets. While …

The crypto community woke up to another drama-filled day after the Digital Currency Group (DCG) chief's reflection went wrong. DCG chief Barry Silbert penned a letter to the shareholders on Jan. 10, reflecting on the state of the crypto market and the growing FUD around the company. DCG is the parent company of Genesis Global Capital, a crypto lending firm and Grayscale, the world’s leading crypto asset manager. In the letter, Silbert addressed the growing issues around DCG and its subsidiaries owing to the bear market and FTX contagion. He said that bad actors and the implosion of leading crypto …

Publicly-listed Bitcoin (BTC) mining company Argo Blockchain saw a significant drop in mining activity in December due to a winter storm in Texas. On Jan. 11, Argo released its first operational update since selling its flagship mining facility Helios to Mike Novogratz’s Galaxy Digital. The company said it mined 147 Bitcoin or BTC equivalents in December, compared to 198 BTC in November 2022. As of Dec. 31, Argo held 141 BTC, with its December mining revenue amounting to $2.49 million, the firm said. Argo’s total debt was approximately $79 million, and its bank balance was about $20 million. According to …

Bitcoin (BTC) staged a brief but promising return to $17,500 overnight on Jan. 11 as newfound strength lingered. Bitcoin fails to win over skeptical traders Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD hitting new local highs of $17,504 on Bitstamp. Almost tying with the peak from Dec. 16, the pair displayed rare upside momentum against a backdrop of some of the lowest volatility ever seen over the holiday season. Now, traders and analysts anticipate an erratic reaction to upcoming macroeconomic data from the United States. Due Jan. 12, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) print is expected to bolster …

While the United States holds the biggest share in Bitcoin (BTC) hash rate contribution and ATM network, the city hosting the most number of reachable Bitcoin nodes — the biggest pillar of the Bitcoin system — is Frankfurt, Germany. A Bitcoin node represents a computer system that works with other decentralized computers to help validate and relay Bitcoin blocks and transactions. Out of the total 43706 nodes hosted across 134 countries, the U.S. hosts 9999 or 30.53%, while Germany ranks second with 4529 (13.83%) nodes, confirms data from Bitnodes. However, when it comes to the contribution of individual cities, Frankfurt …

Galaxy Digital Holdings CEO Mike Novogratz hosed down fears over the crisis facing Digital Currency Group (DCG) and Genesis saying while it’s “not good news,” it won’t “include a lot of selling.” In a Jan. 10 interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box Novogratz said he expects the current debacle facing DCG and its related companies to “play out” over the next quarter. "The outlook for #crypto is not horrible but it's not great. We've got regulatory headwinds we didn't have before. People are going to cut costs and survive this transition period," says @novogratz. "Crypto is not going away. It's a …

The average crypto investor probably isn’t planning on dying of old age anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have a plan in place to pass on their crypto in the event they meet an unlikely demise, lawyers warn. Speaking to Cointelegraph, Dubai-based crypto lawyer Irina Heaver believes that “billions” worth of Bitcoin (BTC) has been lost due to a lack of proper death-related planning by hodlers. She noted that many families have been unable to access their loved one’s crypto assets due to private keys being taken to the grave, and emphasized the importance of discussing crypto assets …

While 2022 ended on a grim note with macro headwinds providing little hope of a revival in 2023, the start of a new year has surprised bears with a surge in Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and altcoin prices. The period of sparse volatility in the crypto market appears to be ending with a breakout on the upside. The increase has been particularly striking in some altcoins such as Lido (LIDO), Solana (SOL), and Cardano (ADA). The primary factors promoting the spike in these coins are the upcoming Ethereum Shanghai update (for LIDO) and the negative funding rate in the futures …

On Dec. 28, Cointelegraph’s Crypto Trading Secrets podcast interviewed trader Nebraskangooner, gathering his opinions on several topics. “Flat and completely sideways and uneventful,” Nebraskangooner said when asked about his thoughts on Bitcoin’s (BTC) price lately. The crypto bear market saw the price of Bitcoin struggle throughout 2022, falling significantly from its all-time high above $60,000 seen in 2021. Nebraskangooner gave a few thoughts on Bitcoin’s possible location within the bear market and a potential bottom for the asset. Regarding his view on Bitcoin’s price, Nebraskangooner said he primarily looks to price charts for evaluation rather than mainstream news events. “I’ve …

This week on The Market Report, the resident experts at Cointelegraph discuss what artificial intelligence (AI) altcoins are, what their potential benefits are, how they work, and whether they can be a catalyst for a 2023 bull market. We start off this week’s show with the latest news in the markets: BTC price 3-week highs greet US CPI — 5 things to know in Bitcoin this week Bitcoin (BTC) starts a new week on a promising footing, with BTC price action near one-month highs — but can it last? The move precedes a conspicuous macroeconomic week for crypto markets, with …