Billionaire investor Bill Ackman has called upon New York City mayor to look into the crypto regulatory clampdowns associated with BitLicense. A New Yorker shared his aghast on Twitter about the flawed crypto policies of the city and how it could force him to leave it. The user lashed out at the Bitlicense policy of the city and claimed he could not open an account with any major United States exchange for his venture capital firm because of it. Bitlicense was introduced in 2015 that governed various aspects related to crypto issuance and exchange. Any virtual currency business operating in …

The “solid gold cube” crypto promo that surfaced in New York this week has turned out to be hollow on the inside, with onlookers online lampooning the stunt as an appropriate critique of the extravagant promises of crypto and blockchain tech. On Feb. 2, Artnet reported that a 24-carat 410 pound gold cube worth $11.7 million had been placed in Central Park surrounded by a “heavy security detail” as part of a promo for German artist Niclas Castello’s crypto project dubbed Castello Coin (CAST). New in NYC: A cube made from $11.7 million worth of solid gold is sitting in …

The New York Digital Investment Group, or NYDIG, has launched a benefit program allowing employees of participating companies to convert a portion of their paychecks into Bitcoin. In a Tuesday announcement, the NYDIG said several firms involved with sports, entertainment, and digital currencies would be among the first to offer the crypto payments, including Everbowl, MVB Bank, StretchZone, crypto analytics firm The TIE, crypto mining firm Iris Energy and Fertitta Entertainment — the conglomerate behind restaurant giant Landry's and the National Basketball Association’s Houston Rockets. Company employees who participate in NYDIG’s Bitcoin Savings Plan can choose how much of their …

With roughly nine months until major federal and state elections, New York State gubernatorial candidate Jumaane Williams is making crypto mining an issue in his campaign, criticizing the lack of regulatory clarity. Speaking to climate activists and protestors at Seneca Lake in upstate New York on Monday, Williams called on current Governor Kathy Hochul to deny permits for proof-of-work crypto mining firms seeking to operate in the state, citing potential environmental concerns as well as any “harmful” economic impact. The gubernatorial candidate cited China’s crackdown on proof-of-work miners to back his claims. “20% of America’s mines operate in New York …

Flushing Financial Corporation, the parent company behind New York-based Flushing Bank has partnered with crypto firm New York Digital Investment Group (NYDIG) to offer Bitcoin (BTC) services to its customers. The bank was founded in 1929 and according to its Q4 report it held more than $8 billion worth of assets at the end of 2021, with a net income of around $200 million. According to an announcement, the partnership with NYDIG will enable the bank to offer its customers BTC buying, selling and holding services in a “safe and secure environment.” Flushing Bank stated that it aims to launch …

Bitcoin (BTC) is a New York state of mind thing for Eric Adams, the crypto advocate serving as the 110th Mayor of New York City. He received his first Bitcoin payout on Friday during some epic downward price action, and was unflappable when asked about losses during an interview. The Bitcoin price has taken a nosedive from Friday highs of $41,000 to $35,000, meaning Adams has effectively taken a 15% haircut on his first wages. In light of the plummeting price action, a CNN interviewer asked on Jan. 23, “How much money did you lose, and do you have any …

Today, Eric Adams, the Mayor of New York City, announced he would be taking his first paycheck in Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) with the funds arriving Friday. The salary will not be directly paid out as crypto. Instead, it is first issued in fiat U.S. dollar and then converted into digital currencies on Coinbase. Due to the U.S. Department of Labor and various state-level regulations, resident U.S. employees typically cannot receive their remuneration directly in cryptocurrency. This is partly because the Internal Revenue Service classifies fiat USD wage payments as income, whereas items such as stock-based compensation or cryptocurrencies …

Recently, Cointelegraph spoke to Miami Mayor Francis Suarez following the announcement that Miami residents with a digital wallet can earn a Bitcoin dividend. The company that sets up the infrastructure to get Bitcoin dividends into the hands of citizens is CityCoins, an open-source protocol that provides fundraising mechanisms for cities. Miami and New York City are the two inaugural cities to begin fundraising, via MiamiCoin and NYCCoin r. However, neither Miami nor New York City actually own MiamiCoin (MIA) or NYCCoin, instead their treasury wallets are full of Stacks (STX). According to a presentation given at the North American Bitcoin …

VCR Group, the hospitality company founded by entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, announced the live token sale of its latest members-only private dining club in New York City, called Flyfish Club. Prospective seafood-restaurant-goers must purchase their membership on the blockchain, sold as a nonfungible token (NFT). Flyfish Club (FFC) is the world's first member's only private dining club where membership is purchased on the blockchain as a Non-Fungible-Token (NFT) and owned by the token-holder to gain access to our restaurant and various culinary, cultural and social experiences. — Flyfish Club (@Flyfishclub) January 12, 2022 VCR Group answered the question “Why NFT?” on …

Newly sworn-in New York City Mayor Eric Adams is already using his influence to publicly speak about buying the recent Bitcoin dip. In a Thursday interview with CNBC’s Squawk Box, Adams said he had not yet received his first paycheck as the mayor of New York City, but reiterated his aim to make the city a Bitcoin (BTC) and crypto hub. When co-anchor Andrew Ross Sorkin pointed out that the price of the crypto asset has “come down” — dipping as low as $43,000 earlier today — the NYC mayor seemed to be undeterred. "Sometimes the best time to buy …

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has announced it will be partnering with the Bank for International Settlements Innovation Hub as part of the launch of its New York Innovation Center, an initiative aimed at exploring technology used to develop the global financial system. In a Monday speech for the opening of the New York Innovation Center, Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell said the partnership would support the agency’s analysis of digital currencies including the rollout of a central bank digital currency, or CBDC. The center plans to support analyses aimed at improving cross-border payment systems. “The pace of …

Crypto lending firm Celsius Network has expanded its $400 million Series B round from October to $750 million as a result of oversubscription in the firm’s capital raise. The company is now valued at $3.5 billion following the raise and CEO Alex Mashinsky told Cointelegraph he expects that figure to “double or triple” next year which would see it valued between $7B and $10.5B The firm previously closed the round on Oct. 12 amid a period of intense scrutiny placed on crypto lending firms from local regulators. Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky emphasized at the time that “it’s not $400 million. …