A five-member panel of the United States Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) has voted 4-1 in favor of a proposal that may make it more difficult for cryptocurrency firms to serve as digital asset custodians in the future. The proposal, which is yet to be officially approved by the SEC, recommends amendments to the “2009 Custody Rule” will apply to custodians of “all assets” including cryptocurrencies, according to a Feb. 15 statement from SEC Chairman Gary Gensler. Gensler stated that currently, some crypto trading platforms that are offering custody services are not actual “qualified custodians.” According to the SEC, a qualified …

Angel investors and venture capitalists are two types of private investors who provide funding for early-stage and growth-stage companies. However, there are some key differences between them that we will cover in this article. Who are angel investors? High-net-worth individuals who invest in companies at an early stage in exchange for equity in the business are known as angel investors. They frequently invest their own funds and take a more active approach to investment, offering advice and mentoring to the businesses they support. The well-known angel investors in the crypto world include: Roger Ver — He is known as “Bitcoin …

Can Bitcoin help Black Americans build wealth in a country that has historically and intentionally prevented them from doing so? The Agenda podcast recently sat down with Najah Roberts, a Bitcoin educator and entrepreneur, to explore the question. In Part 1 of the conversation, released on Feb. 1, Roberts told hosts Jonathan DeYoung and Ray Salmond that Bitcoin (BTC) might be the greatest opportunity Black Americans have had to close the country’s wealth gap. She stressed the importance of communities having financial sovereignty and control over their own money, which can help uplift entire generations. In Part 2 of their …

The world’s biggest cryptocurrency, Bitcoin (BTC), is connecting more countries as the government of El Salvador is opening a “Bitcoin Embassy” in the United States. El Salvador, a country that adopted Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021, is expanding its Bitcoin strategy with a new partnership with the government of Texas. The intergovernmental collaboration aims to set up a Bitcoin Embassy, or El Salvador’s representative office, in Texas in order to work on new joint projects to promote Bitcoin adoption. Milena Mayorga, ambassador of El Salvador to the United States, announced the news in a statement on Twitter on Feb. …

Showing an interest in cryptocurrencies might just be the key to attracting a romantic partner, according to a Valentine’s Day survey conducted by Binance. The cryptocurrency exchange carried out a global survey in the lead-up to the annual romantic holiday, with 2,600 participants weighing in on the importance of an interest in crypto in potential partners. If the data is to be believed, having an avid interest in the space could be an important factor in a relationship with like-minded partners. The open survey posed nine questions to participants focused on attitudes towards cryptocurrencies, dating and romance between Feb.6 and …

After a visit to El Salvador, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) suggested that the country reconsider its plans to increase exposure to Bitcoin (BTC). The community responded to the IMF’s suggestion with various messages calling out to the organization. From dismissing the IMF's suggestion as a simple "FUD," to interpreting it as a strong bullish signal for BTC, various crypto community members went to social media to express their sentiments on the IMF's efforts to discourage El Salvador's plans for Bitcoin. In a tweet, one community member argued that IMF’s move is a way to “scare other countries away” from …

The latest installment of Cointelegraph’s Top 100 is live, with positions 51–60 now revealed to the public. Each year, Cointelegraph crafts a list of the top 100 figures in the crypto industry, with its staff casting votes on which to include. Each member of the Top 100 gets their own profile explaining why they were included. The first 10 entries, profiles 90–100, were unveiled on Feb. 8. An additional 10 profiles have been released each weekday since, leading up to the forthcoming unveiling of the top spot. DISCOVER COINTELEGRAPH’S TOP 100 IN CRYPTO AND BLOCKCHAIN 2023 The Top 100 is …

The metaverse, a virtual environment that simulates reality, offers complex moral dilemmas regarding privacy, ownership and control. These consist of: Privacy: Who has access to and how is personal information used within the metaverse? Ownership: Who owns the digital assets and real estate in the metaverse, and what rights do they have over it? Control: Who oversee activities in the metaverse, and what rules and regulations will be implemented to guarantee fair use and equal treatment for all participants? These are crucial issues to think about as the metaverse expands and is utilized more frequently, and they will probably have …

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is reportedly planning to propose new rule changes this week that could impact what services crypto firms can offer their clients. According to a Feb. 14 report from Bloomberg citing “people familiar with the matter,” the securities regulator is working on a draft proposal that would make it difficult for crypto firms to hold digital assets on their client’s behalf as “qualified custodians.” This may, in turn, affect the many hedge funds, private equity firms and pension funds that work alongside such crypto firms. According to those cited, a five-member SEC panel …

The percentage of Ethereum blocks complying with orders set by the United States Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) has now fallen to 47% — the lowest since Oct. 11. The latest milestone in reversing censorship comes nearly three months after the percentage of OFAC-compliant blocks reached its peak at 79% on Nov. 21. OFAC-compliant blocks are those that exclude transactions involving parties sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. A fall in compliant blocks could be seen as a win for those that oppose censorship within the Ethereum ecosystem. In a statement, blockchain consulting firm …

The launch of Bitcoin nonfungible tokens (NFTs) — known as Ordinals — has tipped the number of non-zero Bitcoin addresses to a new all-time high of 44 million, according to crypto analytics platform Glassnode. In a Feb. 13 report from Glassnode, the firm explained that for the first time in Bitcoin’s 14-year history, a portion of network activity is being used for purposes other than peer-to-peer monetary Bitcoin (BTC) transfers: “This is a new and unique moment in Bitcoin history, where an innovation is generating network activity without a classical transfer of coin volume for monetary purposes.” Glassnode explained that …

For readers looking for unique, meaningful gifts for their valentine this Valentine’s Day, consider giving a cryptocurrency-related gift. Here are nine options: A cryptocurrency gift card Give your significant other the gift of choice by giving them a cryptocurrency gift card. They can use it to buy food or any digital asset they want, whether that’s Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) or a stablecoin like USD Coin (USDC). Virtual real estate Readers can buy virtual real estate in the metaverse, such as in Decentraland or The Sandbox, as a unique, romantic gift. Their significant other can build and customize their own …